Cosmic Love
by bexie25
Summary: A vampire, Edward's been alone for a long time, always missing the one thing he lives without. As a hybrid, Bella's never truly fitted in anywhere in her entire life, surrounded by the type of love that she craves. When Bella runs away from home, a chance meeting occurs that will change Edward's and Bella's lives forever. If only they knew how much…
1. Prelude

**Hi everyone!**

**Here's the prelude to a story that I was promising my Love Knows No Bounds readers since before chapter 259. I was originally hoping to have this all pre-written, but it hasn't worked out that way. I do have a few chapters up my sleeve though and because the chapters I've written are around 1000 words each, it'll update once a week on Mondays.**

**This story is somewhat based on the song by Florence and the Machine: Cosmic Love. My interpretation of that song is of two lonely souls finding love and being happy to just be with each other... but you'll figure that out during this story.**

**Here's the prelude and I'll see you down the bottom to tell you how this'll happen.**

**Enjoy :)**

* * *

**Prelude**

* * *

**EPOV**

I never thought I'd find my mate. The idea just never occurred to me. Of course, that may have something to do with the sheer fact that all of my family members had found theirs and I was surrounded by happiness. Or perhaps it was my personality; I have been told, many times in fact, that I'm morbid. I've always been told that I brood.

Or perhaps it was the little detail of how I felt about my soul and my life as a vampire.

Well, damn, I've told you now, haven't I? I was quite hoping to be able to beat around the bush and have you guessing, but I suppose that's just my morbid and bored sense of humour, isn't it? Ah, well; one can only cope with so many surprises… and my tale sure does have quite a few.

**BPOV**

All my life I'd felt out of place. All my life, I'd known I was different and I'd been sure I'd never fit in. Little did I know that running away was what I'd needed… or rather, running away and into the arms of a certain someone was what I'd needed.

I'd wanted to be set free, to fly, to feel the wind in my hair and dance in the rain. I got that and so much more.

That doesn't mean to say that my tale… or rather, _our _tale doesn't come with surprises, shocks and a smidge of heart-ache and longing. Because it does, it does have that… but home is where my heart is… and I'd known all along that my heart was not in Seattle.

I'd just had to find _him_ to discover exactly where it was…

* * *

**How did we find that?**

**Now, as it is in this prelude, the updates will be as such: Edward, Bella, Edward, Bella. We'll go in that pattern and if there's an epilogue it'll be set out like this - obviously with longer sections.**

**I'll see you next Monday!**

**Please review**

**bexie25**


	2. No Dawn, No Day

**Hello**

**Thanks to the response to this story - plenty of favourites and alerts, not so many reviews, but that's ok! **

**Now, I don't usually do this, but I listened to this song whilst trying to write these chapters and it helped.**

**So… I named the story after this song because it said all that was supposed to be said in this story. In each chapter, I will post one or two lines from the song that are represented in this chapter. It will tell you in a nutshell what this chapter's "vibe" is. Just a warning, the lyrics may be the same in some chapters as they were in others, or they may have some of the same lyrics and then the line or two beyond that… such as in the next chapter.**

**Anyways, enough from me... I hope you like this chapter and please review!**

* * *

_**~O~**  
_

_No dawn, no day, I'm always in this twilight_

**_~O~_**

* * *

I suppose the only thing I can really do before my tale begins, is tell you about myself.

My name is Edward Anthony Masen Cullen and I was born in 1901. Yes, you heard correctly – nineteen-oh-one. I haven't always been in this… well, _form_, I suppose. I was born as a human to my parents – whom I now can hardly remember – Elizabeth Masen and Edward Masen Senior.

From what I _did_ remember, my father was a barrister and my mother stayed at home and looked after me until I was old enough to go to school. After that, I'd no idea, but I did remember coming home to a house where my mother was always cleaning or cooking, or somehow, miraculously, a combination of the both.

When I was seventeen – and still human – I dreamed of one thing: becoming a soldier and fighting for my country, for the greater good.

But, that was taken away from me when I fell ill – like my mother and father before me – to the Spanish Influenza. Somehow, we'd survived the first wave. But it was the second wave that started in 1918 that proved deadly.

My father was the first of my family to die. My mother then contracted the disease from him and I from her. I could not remember her clearly even now, nearly ninety years after the day, but I remembered bits and pieces, like her laugh and the sound of her voice.

Oh, how I missed them. I wanted my parents – my real ones – every day but I could never have them, could never know them. It wasn't fair, but it was what I had to live with.

Carlisle Cullen was the doctor who tended to my mother, my father and me. He told me that on my mother's death bed, when she was seconds away from dying she tugged him down to her by his collar and begged him to save her son – to save me – in the only way that _he _could.

And so he did. He turned me into the immortal being that I am today and he provided me with parental figures and siblings, nearly all of which he turned.

And so, here I was, nearly nine decades later.

The problem? I was completely and utterly alone in a sense that the others of my family were not. You see, to a vampire, love is eternal and there is only truly one being that is meant for you; your mate.

I was without mine, and every passing year made it harder and harder to have hope.

The only other problem? Well, there was a certain someone who was so sure that they were my mate when they were not. And she would not leave me alone.

_The key is to just blend in with the surroundings… pretend I'm not there… yes, that should work._

"Eddie," the blonde haired succubus whined and I took advantage of being turned away from her. Internally groaning, I clenched my eyes shut and grit my teeth. For the life of me, I had no idea how Tanya could think I liked her – I was sure that I'd done enough to convince her otherwise.

_Or… perhaps if I ignore her and pretend I didn't hear her, that'll suffice. Perhaps then she'll leave me alone._

And so, vainly, I tried doing just that. I kept reading my book and casually slipped my earphones on, blasting the music. Of course, for _my _ears it did nothing to keep out the sound of Tanya's scratchy, grating voice but a man – vampire or human – has to try, right?

_Dude, she's infatuated. That ain't gonna help, _Emmett thought up to me from his room. Currently, he and his mate, Rosalie, were doing unspeakable things that I hissed at the images and growled at his thoughts. He took the point and gradually, his mind became focused on his wife and I shuddered, blocking him as best I could.

"Edward," Tanya called again and I sighed, giving up.

_Well, at least she got my name right this time, _I thought, trying to at least lighten my mood. There was no possible way that I could let myself snap at her, as much as I wanted to. She was down here for a 'visit' – more notably known as another attempt to 'snag me' as Emmett would say. I had to be a hospitable host… even if I wanted nothing more than to be the opposite.

"Edward, can you play for me again?" Tanya continued and I took a deep breath to control my temper. There was no way that I could snap her neck. I had to be patient… perhaps if I was patient, she'd leave me alone.

Even I knew that that was a lie.

I cleared my throat, an action out of habit rather than need. "Of course, Tanya, what would you like to hear?" I murmured in response and I growled under my breath at her squeal and giggle.

"That lullaby," she said and I paused. Noticing my hesitation, she groaned. "Come on, Eddie… please play it. You never do when I ask."

_There's a reason for that, _I thought to myself, sighing sadly. That lullaby was to be heard by only my mate and Tanya wasn't her… as much as she wanted to be.

"Perhaps another time, Tanya," I said, lying through my teeth as I got up, gathering my things and left the room. The reminder of the unfinished lullaby had saddened me to the point of suffocation and right now, all I could think about was getting out of the house.

I put away my book, but hooked the earphones that were connected to my iPod back into my ears. I fiddled around, finding the right playlist and soon enough, I was on my way, running away from that odious succubus as fast as I could. I sighed and smiled just slightly as the thoughts of others slowly disappeared one by one.

* * *

**And there's the first chapter! So, tell me what you think and if you like my Cosmicward... see you next week for Bella's chapter!**

**Please review**

**bexie25**


	3. In The Shadow of Your Heart

**Good-late-afternoon lovely readers!**

**Not much to say, but here's the first insight into Bella's mind. AN down the bottom concerning images for this chapter.**

**Funnily enough, this chapter's first line from **_**Cosmic Love **_**by Florence and the Machine is the same as Edward's first chapter. Don't worry, they'll start to differ (not really in meaning, though) when and after they meet.**

* * *

**_~O~_**

_No dawn, no day, I'm always in this twilight_

_In the shadow of your heart_

**_~O~_**

* * *

Me… how to describe _me_…

Well, for one thing, I'm not human. I should tell you that upfront. I'm not human, but I'm not fully vampire either. I'm, for lack of a better word, a _hybrid_. My father, Charlie Swan's a vampire and my mother… well, she _was_ human but she's now a vampire.

They were mates and subsequently, they loved each other very much. And as much as I wanted to say that I loved living with them, the truth of the matter was that I wanted nothing more than to leave this dreary little neighbourhood in Seattle.

The main thing was that I'd never felt like I fitted in… _anywhere_. Of course I loved my life, but fuck, I felt like I was missing something. And more so, it _hurt _to look at my parents; it _hurt _to see how obvious their love was and wonder if that was out there for me. Because seriously, who'd want a halfling? A freak?

Only one that I knew of, but unfortunately, he was in my dreams and there was no way of telling if he was real or not. I sincerely hoped that he was.

I shivered and blushed in pleasure as my thoughts settled on _him_. I didn't know his name. I knew nothing more than what he looked like, the sound of his voice and what his hands felt like when they touched me. Oh, and the fact that he was a vampire…

He was beautiful in more than just looks; he was compassionate, passionate, loving, protective and caring. He made me, in those dreams, feel so wanted and loved and cherished that when I woke up, I was in the most terrible mood for the rest of the day.

I would not be the first to admit that he was good looking; I was sure that if he was real, he'd have many others after him. I hated that.

I wanted to be with him right this minute. I didn't want to have to wait for who knows how long. There was a chance that I would never see him real life, that I was destined to just dreams but I wasn't going to accept that until I'd found him.

And I would find him; I had to.

That was exactly why I was leaving tonight when my parents were otherwise involved… as they were regularly. It didn't help that my hearing was just as advanced as theirs, but they only apologised. Not that I didn't understand – au contraire, of course I did. It was only understandable that if you _had _your mate _with _you you'd be with them anyway you could… anyway you wanted.

My breath hitched and I threw the pencil I'd been using away. It hit the wall with a strange clang sound and I huffed. I looked down at the sketching pad and smiled at my latest depiction of the vampire of my dreams. It wasn't finished yet, but it was actually pretty good, if I was being honest with myself.

I sighed and flipped the sketch book shut. I bit my lip, closed my eyes and breathed in deeply once before opening the book back up. My hands caressed the pages, wandering over the features of the wonderful man in front of me. All of these sketches were from my dreams and it felt good to relive them.

I had my favourites of course, but I loved them all. I always studied them for hours, trying to pick up on little tid-bits of this vampire's – _my _vampire's – personality. I could always tell what his mood was, just from the image. Some of them made me swallow back a moan or any other sounds that would show my desire for him. I always felt immediately stupid; there was a strong possibility that this vampire wasn't even real and I, being the idiot that I was, wanted him – a figment of my imagination.

When I was done, I sighed again and flitted over to the far wall to my right. I picked up the pencil, flitting back to the desk I was sitting at and sat down. I smiled sadly at the latest sketch I had yet to finish, swallowing as I lifted my hand to the page and kept going.

I sketched for hours, growling occasionally when I got something wrong and had to rub it out. I had started this latest one this morning. It was now five pm and I had yet to finish it. Sometimes, with these images of the man of my affection, it took _days _before I was happy with it. This one should have been easy but like always, I wanted it to be perfect.

"Bells," Dad said and I flinched in surprise. I blinked, looked down at the sketch and growled when I found the mistake that flinch had caused.

It was only then that I realised my Dad was in my room, looking over my shoulder. I squeaked and quickly closed the sketching pad, turning around at my natural speed in the chair. I looked at my father, who looked so much like me it really wasn't funny and he was standing there with an eyebrow raised, hands on his hips.

"You ok there, Bells? I didn't mean to startle you there." He asked and the amusement was clear in his voice. I growled which in turn made him laugh and stood up, folding my arms against my chest.

"I'm fine," I said, annoyed that he found it so damned amusing that I was angry. He and Mum always fucking did and it wasn't fair. "And you didn't."

He chuckled, "whatever you say, baby girl."

"Is there something you wanted?" I asked, desperately wanting to get back to my sketching. My fingers were itching to fix that thick, misplaced line that Dad's interruption had caused.

"Just checkin' up on ya, Bells," Dad said softly, looking a little concerned. "You've been up here all day and your mother and I wanted to make sure you were ok."

"Well, I'm fine," I said.

_Ok. Ok, that's a lie, _I thought to myself, but I held Dad's gaze as he studied me. I breathed a sigh of relief when he nodded before turning around and walking out of the room, closing the door behind him.

As soon as he was out of the room, I flew back to my seat and opened the sketching book. I flipped to the right page and beamed at my work, only to frown when my eyes landed on the mistake. I growled low and aggravated, my hands flying around as I quickly righted the wrong.

Sitting up with my back straight, I sighed and smiled as I looked at the finished product. He was perfect and ethereal and beautiful and maybe – just maybe, just hopefully – mine.

_Now all I have to do is find Mr Perfect… and I have no idea where to start._

* * *

**ALL sketches in the book - not just ones mentioned - will be available in two places tomorrow - my photobucket and facebook albums. Yes, that's right. I'm on facebook under the name Bexie Twenty-Five Fanfiction. Friend me... if you dare ;)**

**Anyways, for those who are my friend on FB, you will be able to access the facebook album tomorrow sometime during MY afternoon. Those who aren't, won't, so unless you want to friend me, go to my photobucket tomorrow.**

**On another note, we also have a banner... or several... now. They're all the same pretty much, but I couldn't decide so there'll also be an album for the banner/s (on FB, these will be available in the album called "Cosmic Love - Banners") uploaded tomorrow.**

**Next week, if you want, I'll post the links.**

**Thanks for reading! See you next Monday!**

**Please review,**

**bexie25**


	4. Falling Star

**Afternoon!**

**Just thought I'd let you know that sometimes the lyrics at the top of the chapter will be right after the ones from the previous chapter to show that the same thing happens but just without the same lyrics so it's not as pointless. That's how it'll be next chapter for Bella's POV.**

**Now here's Edward's next chapter… and just guess who he meets ;)**

**See you down the bottom for more info!**

* * *

_**~O~**_

_A falling star fell from your heart_

_And landed in my eyes_

**_~O~_**

* * *

Licking the last of the mountain lion's blood from my lips, I grunted at the taste. It was true that this lifestyle wasn't all that satisfying, but the meat-eating animals were always the best – my personal favourite being the mountain lion.

I let my tongue wander over my teeth, just in case there's something there. There isn't. Then I wiped my hands on my jeans at the same time that my phone starting ringing. I sighed and dug it out, looking at the caller ID.

_Alice_.

"Should I answer or should I not?" I said to myself, smirking when I made my decision and pocketed the phone. It wasn't that I wanted to be an asshole, or that I got some sort of thrill out of pissing off my sister… it was quite the opposite actually; Alice would rip anyone to pieces if they irritated her enough.

But that wasn't the crux of the problem. I just didn't feel like answering to Alice right now.

I needed to be alone.

This was what happened when you lived with three perfectly matched mated pairs. The love that they shared, the looks that they gave each other and the happiness and togetherness that radiated from all three couples was astounding and unfortunately, something I didn't have.

There was an age old theory in our world that if you didn't find your mate, sooner or later you'd lose your mind because your mate was your sanity just as they were your everything else. There were stories to support that basis, too.

I didn't want that to happen to me, but from the way things were going for me, that was the only possible outcome.

I thought for a minute about what to do next, and not just whether I wanted to hunt down another elk or something before heading back. I was sure that I'd have a fight on my hands if I decided to leave and search for a mate by myself. I immediately ruled that out as an option.

I shook my head and decided to think about this at a later date. I also decided that I really did need to hunt perhaps just once more.

I inhaled deeply, closing my eyes as I let my instincts rule over me. Growling, I bent forward into a crouch and raced north, following the scent of a bear. In the back of my mind, my thoughts reflected that this seemed to be a lucky day for me; first an elk – which was by no means appetising – followed by a mountain lion and to finish it off, a ripe, fully grown bear.

I very quickly located the bear and wasted no time in tackling it and draining it. The thick fur that my teeth had to cut through was a bother, but the taste really was good. Not as good as my favourite, of course, but it was up there.

I patted and smacked the fur off me, and was just about finished when the wind's draft blew my way again and the sweetest scent hit me. At the same time, something seemed to come over me. There was no way to describe it but something about that scent washed over me and my instincts took over.

The scent did something to me in the fact that it connected to my soul and my body. Immediately, my soul was reaching out for this thing… this being, wherever it was.

I felt as I was blind; as if I no longer had control over anything… because I didn't.

Before I knew it, I was making my way through the thick underbrush, searching madly for that scent; I craved it, needed it. There was nothing else _but _it.

I crouched forward, as if I was stalking my prey, but it was so much more than that. A few times, the wind stopped and I roared in frustration and need, unable to find this… whatever it was.

When I was close enough that I could hear its ostensibly naturally accelerated heartbeat, I calmed somewhat. I stilled just behind a tree, peeking as I leant my body to the side, gripping the tree to spy on the object of my… whatever this was that I was feeling.

It was not an '_it_'at all. It was a girl; a beautiful, angelic girl whom I wanted and… and loved? My mind whirled at this new piece of information, and I realised with a smile…

Yes. More than anything in this world, I wanted and loved and needed and _craved _the creature in front of me.

Creature, indeed, for it was not a vampire and it was not a human, either… seeming to be a mixture of both. It was a girl; a very beautiful one. She had long brown, flowing curls and brown eyes. Her skin was as pale as mine and any vampires.

This creature also seemed to know that I was watching her for she gasped and the same madness I'd been feeling was in her eyes as she looked to the tree I was now hiding behind. She whimpered needily when she could not see me and the pain that washed through me at that very sound had me gasping, my hand crushing the bark of the tree I'd been clutching in an attempt to stay in my spot. I heard her tread through the debris, making her way to where I was.

But I was panicking. If I gave in, I had no idea what would happen… my mind was racing and as much as I wanted to pull this sweet angel into my arms and never let go, I wasn't sure how much she knew about this world and what she was.

But then she was standing in front of me, her perfect face inches away and her brown doe eyes large and filled with awe.

And all I could do was stare at this gorgeous, perfect and beautiful girl who was forever more _mine_.

* * *

**How was that? Liked it?**

**Before I forget, here's the link to my photobucket album for this story: **s1108 . photobucket albums / h411 / bexie25 / Cosmic%20Love /

**If you use that link, it'll take you to the album in which all the sketches - and other images that will be added - are so you can take a look at Bella's sketches. Now, I didn't do any of these sketches - I am not that way inclined. I found them on the internet, so the credit goes to whoever made them. :) You can also find those images in a facebook album called "Cosmic Love Sketches of Edward by Bella".**

**I don't think I have anything else to say, so... I'll see you next week!**

**Thanks and please review!**

**bexie25**


	5. Blind

**Hello all!**

**Here's the next chapter! I hope you like it, but I have a feeling that at the end you'll be... perhaps... dissatisfied with me. I won't tell you why, read and find out! ;)**

**I hope you all took a look at the photobucket album of her sketches. I just want you to know that the album for the banners isn't up yet - for this story, anyway - but I do have them.**

**They'll be up during the week, the link in the next chapter!**

**As I write and upload this story, I'm putting it all together in a word doc to make a PDF. If anyone wants a copy when this story is complete, then let me know!**

**I think I've tortured you enough... go read!**

* * *

_**~O~**_

_I screamed aloud_

_As it tore through them_

_And now it's left me blind_

___**~O~**_

* * *

It was official.

I was lost.

I'd left my home with the pretence of going to school just around an hour ago. I'd headed north, hoping to start at some small town that had just over three thousand people living there – I checked online before leaving – as it was perfect for a coven of vampires that wanted to blend in.

All I had were the clothes I wore and the backpack that was on my back. In that, I had my sketch book, a few punnets of strawberries because they were my favourite fruit and a few of my pencils, all varying in thickness and such for my sketching. Apart from that, I'd taken just the things I felt I couldn't live without – including reminders of my parents.

Now, I was not some bitch when it came to leaving. I left my parents a clear note – one for each because it was much more personal – about how I felt, why I was leaving and I promised them at the end of both of their notes that I would see them sometime in the future. I did not, however, tell them where I was going because I myself had no idea. And of course to make sure they couldn't track me or something, I'd turned my phone off and taken out the battery and sim card. I'd have to get a brand new phone and all when I'd found what I was looking for.

When I'd found the man from my dreams, that is.

There wasn't really much to do. I was too deep into the woods to be able to find my way back out before sunset. I sighed and stopped, realising that this was probably going to be my campsite for the night. There were still a few hours of sunlight left, but I didn't want to take my chances.

The next few minutes were spent setting up my campsite. Dad had always loved camping, passing that onto me; as a result, the two of us often made our hunting trips into overnight camping trips. Of course, it had to be close enough for my parents to not feel pain from their separation, so it was always within a mile or so of our house.

Close enough that my parents could sense each other.

I sighed again, harsher that time. I'd just finished getting everything in place, the fire just a few metres away from where I'd be sleeping – for only a few hours, mind you, because I was close to becoming of full growth – later that night.

I sat down on the log I'd situated near the fire I was waiting to build when it was nightfall. I sat silently there for a few minutes and closed my eyes with a smile on my face as the wind hit my back and blew past me. It was strong enough to go for miles, I was positive.

It seemed only minutes later when I could hear fast-paced footfalls in the distance, the occasion growl or roar of frustration. I knew instantly what this creature was and whimpered, needing to smell it, him, whatever it was to make sure.

I panicked. Was it a human, a vampire, a werewolf? I'd heard such creatures as the shape shifter were in and around this area. Was I going to die tonight? Had they come for me? And_ who_ was "they", _what_ was "they"?

Suddenly, there was no time left for thinking as the creature stopped metres away from me. I gasped as I felt it then. The pull, I felt it. I felt everything I'd ever wanted to feel. I looked around for it and whimpered when I couldn't see the source of these wonderful yet confusing emotions. Immediately, I was met with the sound of a pain-filled gasp coming from the other side of the tree. There was a need clawing through my body, its nails sharp as it tore through my eyes, leaving me blind to anything else but this damned need that I could not –for the life of me – explain. All I knew was simple: I was owned now.

However, I also knew that I was not walking into this without any knowledge of what was happening like my mother had. I knew that I was now tied to a being I had yet to see or talk to and it was that thought that, on instinct, made me begin to walk towards the male I was now irrevocably tied to. Vaguely, in the back of my mind, I registered the part of me that wondered who he was and what he was like. I wondered if they were anything remotely like the vampire I had spent hours sketching.

I hoped he was. I hoped he was caring, kind, passionate, compassionate.

I hoped he was that male in my sketch book that had somehow etched his way through my skin and veins, into my heart forever.

Slowly, I walked around the side of the enormous tree. I couldn't even gasp in shock when I realised that this was… _him_. This was exactly who I'd always thought it was. I looked into his eyes, falling into them, noticing the fading panic in his eyes as he, too, fell into my gaze bindingly. I was feeling love and awe as I looked at him and I hoped he could see that. I nearly smiled when I realised that he was looking at me with the very same emotion in his eyes.

But another part of me was not as calm and content.

It was confused.

There were too many variables, too many things I wasn't sure of. All these feelings coursing through me were new, strange and invigorating but I had no idea if this was actually real or not. Standing before me was the man I'd dreamed of for so long, looking at me the same way I was looking at him. There were so many questions bubbling to my lips, making me feel so overwhelmed that I could barely think.

I needed to get away. I needed to clear my head so I could think. I needed… I _needed_…

I growled at myself in frustration, unable to think and immediately, I heard a twin purr that calmed me to my very core. Another kind, loving, nuturing and _sweet_ little gesture that set me off…

_Get away, get away, get away… _some little voice in my head whispered softly, nurturing… and as much as it killed me to do so, I had no choice but to concede and listen.

So I did the only thing I thought I could do.

I ran.

And it was harder than I thought, because the second I did so, my mate – it was thrilling to think that – fell to the ground and let out a screeching roar of pain.

* * *

**See? Told you you'd be a little upset... but don't worry! The next update is on next Monday - as you know - and their separation won't be long, I promise.**

**Until next week, please review :)**

**bexie25**


	6. In the Dark

_****_**Hi everyone!**

**Here's the next chapter in Edward's POV. I haven't really got much to say, so I'll let you go and read this. **

**See you down the bottom!**

* * *

_**~O~**  
_

_And in the dark_

_I can hear your heartbeat_

_I tried to find the sound_

_**~O~**  
_

* * *

I don't know how long I stayed there, waiting for… something. Even in the back of my mind, I was debating if I was waiting for her, or for the nightmare in the middle of the perfect dream to end. My eyes were closed as the pain surged through me, trying to conjure an image of her in my mind for some sort of relief. But it was the sound of her pain after the roar of my own had been released that I could remember most clearly, and that just made my own pain worse.

I growled, the bark I was gripping in my fingers crushing to dust. I forced myself to think of her scent, her beautiful brown eyes… the enigma of _her_. She had to be the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen, let alone met, and she was _mine. _I sagged against the tree, letting my head rest back against it, and closed my eyes to relive our meeting.

It seemed like only moments later when I was jolted from the memory, which played like a perfect, high definition video in my mind. I opened my eyes with a growl, and tried to jump up to defend myself, but was struck with a sudden weakness. I gasped as I realised that I was unable to move, and so I forced my head up as hard as I could to look the vampire in the eye.

I calmed instantly.

_Carlisle_.

He seemed to be speaking to me, but for the life of me, I could not hear the words. Perhaps that was a good thing, I mused silently to myself before I let my mind retreat again to my enigma of a mate. I smiled lazily and closed my eyes, barely able to hear Carlisle's voice.

The next thing I knew, I was being picked up. I panicked for a moment, but then I thought of my girl again and I calmed down.

_**~O~**_

"Eddie!" I heard Tanya call, moments later hearing the sounds of her footfalls as she rushed dramatically toward Carlisle, and therein, me.

I growled in distaste and opened my eyes. When I could see the odious vampire, I glared at her with a ferocity that caused her to stop, her mouth falling open. I smirked in spite of myself; I had never shown my full distaste for the woman but now that I had a mate to find, I would waste no time in doing so.

When Carlisle left me in my room, I locked the door and the windows. I wanted to be alone, with the thoughts of my mate, and I was in no mood to socialise. I spent hours holed up in my room, each second ticking away painfully. No one came to check on me, for which I was glad, but I could hear the worry and impatience – especially that of Alice's, for she knew what was happening at the moment – constantly.

Alice told me – through her thoughts, of course – that if I wanted her help to find my mate, I would need to come down and tell everyone what had happened first. It was then that the idea occurred to me of actually finding my mate, and with that, the pain lessened. I waited until dawn to come down into the family room where everyone was adjourned.

It was hard to walk down the stairs, but the pain was in the back of my mind as the compulsion and determination to find my mate took over. I stood in front of every member of my family and those of the Denali clan for a moment. I was a little worried about Tanya's reaction, but decided that I didn't care anyway.

"I found my mate," I said quickly, feeling the pain of the statement more than anything. Though I was angry that I was away from her, I was not angry at _her_. I knew that she had a reason – and I was sure it was a good one – for running like that.

I hushed my family as their voices sounded with questions, and I carefully dogged Tanya as she screeched, yelled and lunged. She crashed into the wall behind me, and I smirked as I stopped in front of Alice. She shook her head, smiling at my antics, and thought:

_You need to wait for her, Edward. I see you two meeting again soon, but I can't determine where or when. It's very soon though, I suspect within the next week. I wish I could tell you more, but I can't. Oh, and Tanya wants to come with us to school on Monday. We can't object. Don't worry, though; Kate and Irina will be there to keep her in line._

She winked and walked off without another thought, winding her arm through Jasper's. I was a little frustrated that she couldn't see anything else, but after decades of working with Alice, I knew she'd tell me more if she could. I trusted her implicitly.

"Oh, Edward," Esme said as she stepped into my line of sight. I smiled down at my mother for all intents and purposes, hugging her back when she half-tackled me to the ground in happiness.

After sharing a few more words with both her and Carlisle, gaining a congratulatory nod from Rosalie and keeping myself in line as Emmett joked and insinuated, I bid everyone goodnight and left for my room upstairs.

As soon as the door was closed, and the room was completely dark, I slumped against it and slid down to the ground. My fingers clenched into fists as the pain I'd suppressed raked through my body and I groaned slightly, my head falling back against the door with a thud.

Without my mate with me now, I was darkness. But amidst the darkness, the feeling of being lost to the world, I had a few reprieves. The knowledge that my mate and I would meet again and soon according to Alice's vision. The memory of her gorgeous face; her beseeching, hopeful and loving eyes accompanied by the memory of her scent and the sound of her heart.

I could feel a separate compartment of my mind, the part that acted on instinct, as it scoured the area for minds. It was hopeful, considering I knew that I couldn't hear her, but still… I had to try.

And I only grew more determined as I remembered her scent, imagined her with me now, in my arms, in my lap. I wanted her; more than anything, I wanted her.

And I would find her.

But right now, as Alice had said, I had to wait for her.

And wait I would.

* * *

**How was that?**

**I'm really not confident with this chapter. Really, I'm not. And I need your opinion on it to change mine.**

**Please review and I'll see you next Monday for Bella's chapter!**

**bexie25**


	7. Darkness I Became

**Hello**

**So I originally had different lyrics for this chapter but then realised that these two chapters of them searching for each other – both consciously and subconsciously – was actually represented way better here…**

**As it has happened so far, for the most part, these lyrics come straight after the ones from chapter 5. However, these lyrics are only loosely connected with the chapter as Bella regains hope and gets into action to find her man ;)**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

_**~O~**_

_But then it stopped_

_And I was in the darkness_

_So darkness I became_

_**~O~**_

* * *

The sound of my mate's anguishing roar crushed me. I panted, every inch of my body, mind and soul hurting as I continued to run.

_Go back… Go back… Go back…_

I whimpered. My hand flew up to my chest at the sound of his pain. Running away from my mate was the hardest thing I'd ever done; I hated myself for what I'd done… how much pain I'd heard in his roar. He looked so perfect and even as I ran away from him, my mind was still with him. I remembered every detail of his gorgeous face – his full lips, high cheekbones, piercing eyes…

I sighed dreamily. He was perfect – beyond perfect – and everything I wanted.

_So why did I run away?_

I scowled at myself. That idea had been monumentally stupid, but I felt like too much of a coward to turn around and go back to my other half. The little voice in my mind that was telling me to go back haunted me, and before I knew it, I had stopped in the middle of the forest.

As overwhelmed as I was by my mate – by finding him so soon, and not only that, but finding the male from my dreams – I knew that I had made a mistake. I knew that this was not the right thing to do. I knew that it was cruel and selfish to do what I had done.

And yet, I'd done it anyway.

I sighed, my knees giving out. I rubbed my eyes and yawned; I was so tired. The emotional stress coupled with the long journey of today was too much for my still half-human body.

I sighed in want when I thought of what it would feel like to fall asleep in my mate's arms. To feel safe, protected and loved as I had for those few short moments before I'd made the idiotic mistake of running away from my destiny and future.

My father's words haunted me as I remembered them.

"_But remember, Isabella. A separation of any kind between mates if rough on both the female and the male… however, the male feels it worse. He is incapacitated – blindsided by pain. It is unwise to come near one if you ever see one unless you are his mate for you never know what he could do in the midst of his mad thoughts and crushing pain."_

I cried out, again hating that I hadn't thought of that before I'd left him. I mentally berated myself – how could I not think or know of that! When my mate had cried out in pain, searching for me… how could I not know that this would happen!

In a panic, I turned around and began to run in the very direction I had come from. Each second, I felt myself feeling better and I hoped that my mate was feeling the same way.

_I am coming for you, _I thought out to him, desperately wishing he would just _hear _me. _I am coming, my love._

But the jovial feeling that was coursing through me turned to stone-cold agony when I arrived at the very spot that we had met and he was nowhere in sight. I fell to the ground with a whimper and began to sob.

I was there for an immeasurable amount of time. Darkness had washed over me, and I had no idea how I was feeling anymore.

With the last shred of hope, I looked around for a trace of where he could have gone, perhaps a trail of any kind, but there was nothing. I could smell someone else that had come across here, but I had been so dazed when we'd stood in front of each other that I had not taken into account anything but him. Therefore, I had no idea when the person had come by; it smelled fresh, but I was only half-vampire – I could not tell exactly how fresh it was because my senses were just not that strong.

I sniffed the air and sighed as I found the spot at which my mate must have sat. I took in deep, lung-filling breaths and my body relaxed. I huddled against the massive tree trunk, slipping down against it. My eyes closed, and soon I was asleep.

_**~O~**_

When I woke up in the morning, I was still huddled against the tree. It must have rained during the night because I was shivering, cold, and wet. I looked around for my backpack, and quickly noticed that it was still on my back. I pulled it off and opened it, pulling out my sketchbook and pencils.

Only a few hours later, I was finished. Leaning back, I looked down at my latest sketch of my mate and smiled. It was perfect, just like him, but nothing would do him justice. I wanted the real thing here.

And I was determined to find him.

My mind reeled as I tried to come up with a plan of attack. I needed to find my mate. Fast.

First thing was first: he probably lived here. That meant I had to set up permanent roots. I needed a house, or somewhere to live at the very least, and I needed to find a school to attend. In my letters, I had promised my parents that I would go to school when I found the place I wanted to settle in.

What I hadn't expected was to find it so quickly.

I got up from my spot against the tree and packed the sketchbook and pencils into my bag. I checked my surroundings for anything I might need later, but there was nothing. I jumped up into the trees, and began to hop from one to the other and so on. I wasn't so sure this was faster, but I needed to get through quickly so I could get into town and see where I was going.

In no time, I had arrived in front of the school, just at the far end of the parking lot. It was full, the most noticeable car being a Volvo and even that wasn't spectacular. I hopped down, landing softly on the plush ground without a sound. I looked around, noting that school must have been in though I had no idea what time it was, but even then there were a few students around. I looked down at my clothes and smiled – my clothes had dried.

With a nod and a deep breath to muster up my courage, I stepped away from the trees and into the parking lot.

* * *

**There's another chapter... and hey! Guess what! If you picked up the subtle hint you know what may be happening next chapter!**

**Thanks for the monumental amount of reviews, by the way - nearly 100 and we've on the sixth chapter! :)**

**I'll see you next week!**

**Please review**

**bexie25**


	8. The Stars

**Hello!**

**So, we're onto the second verse. Unfortunately, they don't exactly find each other in this chapter, but at the end of the next. I'm sorry about that, but it's my plan and I want to follow it. These lyrics for today are pretty much about Edward thinking… well, you'll see this chapter **

**The naming of this chapter was a little harder, but then I realised that it all comes down to the stars, or rather, one star – their connection.**

**Also, thanks to Chandrakanta for beta-ing this chapter. Yes, I now have two beta for my stories. Chandrakanta will beta Cosmic Love, A Choice and Obsessions and Confessions. Dawning Juliet will beta I'm a Girl with Power and Femme Fatale.**

* * *

_**~O~**_

_I took the stars from my eyes_

_And then I made a map_

_I knew that somehow_

_I could find my way back_

_**~O~**  
_

* * *

Two days.

It had been two days since I'd met my mate; two days since I'd found my other half, felt complete for the first time in my existence, and then lost it all when my love had run away.

It had _also _been two days of constant torture… all at the hands of one blonde succubus by the name of Tanya.

Emmett was giddy. He found it just so amusing that Tanya was _still _as hung over me as she was after the amount of decades that had transpired since our first meeting.

I, however, did not find any part of the past two days funny. I was _this close _to wringing Tanya's neck – woman or not.

And now it was going to be worse. Because though I'd known this day was coming, some part of me was hoping that Tanya would do the graceful thing and bow out. But, of course, she didn't; no, Tanya Denali was still going to school with Alice, Jasper and I this very day.

And we would all be driving in one car – _my car_. My small little Volvo that only had four seats.

Could you guess where Tanya was going to sit?

That's right; in the front passenger seat, right next to me.

The only reprieve I had – and it was nothing much – was at night. After about an hour of Tanya's taunting, supposedly seductive, advances, she would huff and leave, saying she was going for a run or a hunt.

She would never return until dawn.

That time, for me, was spent inside my bedroom, with the doors locked and my eyes closed as I sat on the floor in the corner of my room, remembering my mate. Her face; her doe-like, beautiful brown eyes, her gorgeous full lips, her cute little button nose…

And, just like that, I was smiling again.

Those hours were the best of my day. When I imagined her with me, I could almost feel her; feel her warmth, smell her enchanting scent. I felt almost whole; the hole in my chest was buried deep within me, not near the surface, wanting out to the degree that it did throughout the rest of the day.

"Eddie!"

I groaned under my breath, my brows knitting in a frown. I wanted to growl, be obnoxious and tell the intruder to leave me damn well alone, but I couldn't.

For one thing, Tanya was my cousin, for another, she was a guest in our house, and for the last, third point… it would do nothing to stop her.

All those years ago –in 1942, actually – when Tanya still hadn't stopped in her tirade to get me to notice her, I had briefly considered that perhaps we had formed some sort of one-sided mating connection. I spoke to Carlisle about it, who stated that it was a possibility, but highly unlikely. He told me to monitor her thoughts, and if there was anything I thought sounded like a mating connection then I should come to him again.

So I did as he asked, and Tanya's thoughts shortly confirmed that I was nothing to her but a conquest. I was the first male to ever deny her, which made me a fun challenge.

"Eddie, stop ignoring me!" Tanya whined, and I growled under my breath, gritting my teeth.

I turned to her. "I'm sorry, Tanya. Were you saying something important?"

Rude, I know. But I couldn't help myself. The pain had come back in searing temperatures, and it was because of _her_. I had been perfectly content, surrounded in the thoughts of my mate, and she had to break the wall down.

"Well, no." She hesitated. I grit my teeth again, and there was some part of me that was not quite sure why I was so angry. "I just thought we could talk," _at the very least, _she added mentally and my gaze hardened.

"Sorry," I said again as I pulled into the school parking lot. "But I have to talk to one of my teachers this morning," _lie _"they requested it and I have to obey."

She pouted again. "You mean you can't come with me to get my schedule?"

I nodded stiffly, opening my door. She waiting for a moment, but I was in no mood to be courteous and open her door for her. She huffed silently to herself, her thoughts immature and sulking as she got out of the car herself. I continued with what I was saying, turning toward her. "As I was saying, I can't," my eyes glanced over to Alice and Jasper as they got out of the car, "but Alice and Jasper, I'm sure, wouldn't mind in the slightest."

They, of course, shot me dirty looks and thoughts, but I merely laughed under my breath as I turned on my heel and walked briskly away.

I let my mind wander again, the overwhelming pain making me feel the need to come up with some way of finding my mate. After some pondering, I realised that all I really needed to do was use our connection. I would be able to feel her close to me, just as I had when I'd first found her. I wanted to hit myself for not realising this. The same stars that had fallen into my eyes when we'd met could be taken out and used to find my way back to my completion – my mate.

I really smiled for the first time in two days, and took a deep breath before I headed inside. I was walking around aimlessly, though pointedly avoiding the reception and keeping small tabs on Tanya, not wanting to meet with her at some point.

After looking at my watch, I went to my locker and got my books out. With my memorised schedule, it was quick and painless. I had just walked through the door of my first class' room when the bell sounded throughout the school and I sighed, waiting for my classmates and teacher to arrive.

Had I been paying attention, I would have realised just who would be coming through the door.

* * *

**So... I think I'll just leave you with that...**

**See you next Monday!**

**Merry Christmas!**

**Please review**

**bexie25**


	9. Your Heart

__**Surprise!**

**Ok, so I'm bored and I have writers block for almost all my stories so I'm updating early because of that. There's a oneshot coming your way soon, too. Hopefully, it'll help me with this dilemma.**

**If you want to point the finger for this early update, look to Bubbleybear. *Firmly nods* It's all her... fault(?).**

**Thanks to Chandrakanta for betaing this. She's awesome. :)**

**See you down the bottom...**

* * *

**~O~**

_Then I heard your heart beating_

_You were in the darkness too_

_So I stayed in the darkness with you_

**~O~**

* * *

_Deep breaths… breathe in, breathe out; breathe in, breathe out. It's not like this is anything new. You're used to it. This is your fourth first day in high school. You've stopped growing, you're experienced… practically a vampire. _I chuckled under my breath, shaking my head at my own stupidity. _Scratch that; you're eighty years old, Isabella Swan. Eighty one in the fall._

But it _was_ different. It _was_ new. My mate was here, in the school, right now; I could feel him. He wasn't close enough to really get any closure from this, but I felt a little better knowing that I wasn't far. I would see him today, surely. If not during class, then most certainly at lunch; I mean, everyone had the same lunch, right? There were no variations in times or something? The student body wasn't big enough to arouse that need, surely.

Taking my mind off the current situation made me realise what had really been making me nervous. It was _him_. The last time we'd seen each other, I'd left. I'd found what I had been waiting for and _I had left_. Why? Worry, panic, too much, too soon.

But it did not erase the fact that my mate could very well be mad at me. I knew he could not hate me unless this was a one-sided connection, but in that case, he would not be mad at me for leaving, but for finding him again.

My heart clenched at the thought. A one-sided connection. Was that what this was?

I already knew the answer was no. There just was no way that the man I had dreamed about for so long did not feel the same for me as I did for him. Plus, the look in his eyes that first time our eyes met did not signify that of a one-sided connection. I _knew _that look – I had _longed _for that look. It was the same look that my father gave my mother whenever their eyes met.

It was the very same one that I had begun to resent when it was never trained on me; one and the same to the look that used to cut through me like glass when I never saw it on me, but on my mother.

And I knew… I _knew _it was the same look that I had given _him_.

Which meant I was just worrying; if I knew deep within my soul, my heart and every damned fibre of my being that my mate really _did _love me, then I also knew that I was simply scared to meet him. Scared to feel the feelings I knew I would feel, and scared to want this man enough to feel the fear of losing him.

But really, I just wanted to know his name. I was sick of calling him 'the man' or 'him'; I wanted to be able to call him his name… and I wanted to hear him say mine.

"Excuse me, dear? Is there something you needed?" Mrs Cope asked. I would recognise her old, chilly voice and her overwhelming perfume anywhere.

I turned around and pretended to be surprised. She smiled at me with false warmth and repeated her name. I nodded. "Um, yes, I do actually. I'm the new student, Isabella?"

"Last name, dear?" she asked, sitting down at her desk. She put on her glasses, peering with narrowed eyes at the computer and she wiggled the mouse a little. It flashed up again and she squinted, mumbling to herself.

I waited patiently for her, wondering idly why the school didn't simply employ someone with computer skills. I mean seriously… sixty years ago, someone Mrs Cope's type and age would be the expected, perhaps even the ideal. Nowadays, however, a woman with limited-to-no computer skills was hardly acceptable; especially the receptionist! A school's filing system was mostly on the computer; attendance records, log-ins and information… all of it. I sighed to myself, knowing that I could never voice my opinions. Just another part of me that would never be heard…

"Ah, there we are," she said, and she actually seemed proud of herself. I smirked to myself, happy that I'd had the foresight to arrive at school so early this morning whilst also thanking the God in heaven – if he was even there – for the sheer, thrilling fact that this wouldn't be needed every morning.

About twenty minutes later, I was all set. I memorised the map of the school, mildly irritated that I would have to keep up with appearances and keep it for the next week at least. Part of me – a small part – hoped that I would be lucky enough to have the excuse for my mate to be my guide so I could ditch the paper. It wasn't as if I had anywhere to keep it besides my bag, which was in desperate need of a wash… as I would have been had I not broken into someone's house – they were away, obviously – last night and snuck a shower.

With a sigh, I stuffed said map in my bag and then looked at my schedule. My eyes ran quickly over my schedule, and I was glad that I'd chosen subjects I knew and loved. My first class was English, with Mr Mason and I checked my watch. Because of all that trouble with Mrs Cope, I'd lost nearly all my time to just do nothing before school.

Having memorised the map of the school, I knew exactly where I needed to go and how to get there. I smiled and walked with purpose, my head down so I wouldn't bump into anyone. We could save that for lunch time.

Perhaps if I'd had my head up, I would have known who was in class. I would have paid attention to the gasp that was let loose when I walked through the door. And I would have realised why I felt safe, loved and needed for the first time since I'd last seen my mate; since I'd left him standing there in the woods.

* * *

**So yeah. An ending similar to Edward's with a cliffy on top. Again, I am just going according to my plan here. Don't hurt me. ;)**

**I'll see you next week. If you want any sneak peeks, go to my profile and add me on facebook (via the link) because that's the only way to get to those sneak peeks of this story and many more!**

**Thank you for reading and reviewing! This is the first story to get over a hundred so quickly and every time I see that the chapters get over ten reviews within a week... it amazes me.**

**Again, thank you. Please review and I'll see you next week and before you ask... yes, they ARE meeting! LOL.**

**bexie25**


	10. Blown Out

**Hello**

**Ok, I'm sorry for the two week wait. I've been battling some pretty shitty writers' block which is just starting to clear up.**

**Double update tonight, so this is just a little bit shorter than usual. Hopefully, though, you won't mind because as soon as the next chapter is done, it'll be up.**

**These two chapters tonight are not beta'd because my beta is working hard on the mammoth oneshot that I wrote trying to get over the writers' block. It's long, so I thought I'd just leave her with the oneshot but as soon as that's back in my inbox, these will go to her and I'll just replace the chapters. Don't worry, you won't get any emails for them and you won't get stuck trying to review. **

**Oh, and important AN down the bottom.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**~O~**

_The stars, the moon, _

_They have all been blown out_

**~O~**

* * *

My thoughts were not in this room, and nor was my mind. In fact, it was only the shell of me – my body – that was. Everything else was focused on my mate. My mind longed for her, my eyes and hands yearning to see and to touch her.

I sighed deeply to myself and closed my eyes. I had no desire to be here. Not when every dead cell in my body was burning with the need to hunt for her.

To search for her.

The ache in my heart had only just begun to decrease, when I worried idly about why that was. Surely, there was something wrong if I was no longer feeling my mate's disappearance?

There was no breeze in the room, for which I was glad. I felt weak, my senses and instincts all unconsciously searching for my mate's scent. My usual defences were down, meaning that I could very well snap and drink from someone if I wasn't careful.

Just then, the door opened. I didn't bother to look up when perhaps I should have.

Two things happened instantaneously.

I gasped, the last sliver of pain in my chest vanished just as my senses detected a new scent.

My head snapped up and around. I looked frantically across the room, my eyes first wandering past the instigator of these all-too-recognisable feelings only to snap back to them. My eyes widened, and a deep growl reverberated through me. I had to clamp my lips together to keep it from escaping.

There she was.

My mate.

She was standing there, her mouth open, staring right at me.

A thrill shot through me as I studied the look in her eye. Longing, disbelief, desire, happiness, passion and… _oh, dear lord_…

Love.

Before I could stop myself, I released a deep purr. It was one that I had heard about from my siblings and Carlisle and Esme. It was the sound that you released only for your special one, for your soul mate. The purr itself was meant only to be heard by your mate as it only affected them. To anyone else, it sounded merely like any other purr that a vampire could sound.

I could tell that she heard it. Her muscles tensed, her breath hitched and she looked straight into my eyes as she released one of her own. I smiled widely at the sound of our conjoined mating calls; one completed the other.

It was beautiful, just as she was.

My eyes were transfixed on her, my mind warring. On one hand, I was impatient for her to come to me – the seat next to mine was thankfully the only one available, as was the case in most of my classes – but on the other, I knew I had to get a grip. I could hardly do what I wanted to do. I could hardly make my way to her now, pulling her into my arms and run out of the classroom so I could claim her as mine.

Oh, but the desire to do so was almost too much. I needed it. My body longed for hers, for the true completion of our bonding. I longed to be able to mark her, give her _my _bite; the mating bite.

But I knew, logically, that I had to wait. And wait, I would. For her, I would do anything.

I was transported – against my will – back into the real world when the teacher broke our gaze. She gasped and looked away from me, down at the teacher who was sitting at the desk. He looked at her with a frown of disapproval and I couldn't even hear the words he said to her as my mind delved into the minds of others.

I tried to keep myself from growling at their thoughts. Of course they were all focused on _my_ mate. She was gorgeous after all.

_Damn, who's the new girl? She is fucking _fine_; those tits, her ass, those fuckin' legs… fuck me. _Mike Newton was already delving into the unknown. The fantasies were vulgar, and though I knew it would never happen, it still made every _single _muscle in my body react negatively. My mind surged with rage as the growl I had tried to suppress built in my chest.

But before I could do anything, I felt her. I felt my mate walk towards me and my head snapped around. The look in her eyes was worried and yet also reassuring as she smiled softly at me. I relaxed instantly; she knew what was wrong, and she was trying to tell me that I had no need to worry.

She was mine, and mine alone; just as I was _only_ hers.

Each step toward me, though they lasted mere seconds, dragged. The gentle hum between us only grew stronger until it was so much we could both barely breathe correctly as she sat down.

She looked up at me, smiled beautifully, and then looked to the front.

My eyes remained on her for the duration of the lesson.

* * *

**So… what did you think of that, eh? *Smirks and giggles* **

**The next chapter will be of Bella's POV, but it won't be the same thing… it'll be- actually, no. I'll make you sweat it out ;)**

**In other news, I now have a facebook group for ALL of my fanfictions. It's called Bexie25 Fanfics and the link is on my profile… but I suppose I can put it in here for you as well. **

** / groups / 327932867322639 /**

**Come and join us there for some chatting, sneak peeks, pictures and some yummy photos of RPatz. And just… yeah… some fun. **

**Please review and I'll see you in a bit.**

**bexie25**


	11. Now

**Hiya!**

**So here's the second one I promised... slightly longer than I originally thought it was going to be.**

**The Bella in this chapter is a little different to the previous chapters. She's needy and petulant – essentially the eighteen year old that she's supposed to be. The feelings running through her are new and disarming and also, sitting and trying to ignore your newly-found mate goes against the grain.**

**Finding the lyrics for this chapter was hard, so please excuse that it's a one-liner. Although, I think it personally explains it all for this chapter. And perhaps the last, too... plus, I'm really happy with the title. Aren't you? In a way, it kinda explains Bella's – and Edward's – longing for each other and it's like "now, finally, we have each other." Right…? *trails off and ponders thoughtfully* **

**So yeah. Hope you like this chapter and I'll see you down the bottom. :)**

* * *

**~O~**

_And now it's left me blind_

**~O~**

* * *

Though I had felt my mate when I arrived this morning, I had not, in my wildest dreams, believed that he could be in my class – the first one, at that.

My mind had been so clouded and so deep in thought that there was really no hope for me to know until I did. I had been lonely and dragging my feet on my way to class because I always hated the first day. It was the day that you really stood out to the others. It was the day where you were asked out the most, and picked as the new gal in town to be pursued.

But it was unavoidable, particularly for my young age and what I am.

And now that I was sitting next to him, the electric hum that proved us to be mates thrumming from his body and into mine then back to his and so on, I thought back on the moments leading up to this.

And really, now that I thought back to the moments before I entered, I knew that I really should have realized he was right here waiting for me. Well, kind of… I mean, he couldn't have possibly known I was on my way… or did he?

That definitely got me thinking. But just as soon as the thought entered my mind, it was shot down. No. No. No, he couldn't have known. If he had, he would have been looking at me… right? Yes, that is right. He would have been watching and there most certainly would not have been the tiniest hint of surprise that there had been on his face when our eyes connected.

The moment I walked into the room, I knew there was something going on. It wasn't until all the pain vanished, and I _heard_ his head snap up and whip around the room, that I knew what was happening. My head also snapped up and I just… well, _stared_, really.

I smiled to myself despite what this boring teacher was talking about as I thought of the exact moment he released the growl… _my growl_. His mating call for me. I would be the only one to ever hear that, to ever be affected by it.

It just reaffirmed the fact that he was _mine_.

My own call for him could not be stopped then. But it was the way that our calls for each other sounded together; ringing in the air _together_… it was perfect. The perfect harmony of his tenor and my soprano was just… meant to be.

I sighed longingly. I could feel my handsome man's eyes on me, and I loved it, but I wanted more. I didn't just want his eyes on me… I wanted to be able to hold him, kiss him, _speak _to him. I wanted to tell him that I was sorry for running away so idiotically when we first met and I wanted to explain why I did it. I wanted to tell him that I had spent the last sixty years of my life wishing for him to come to me… and that every night he haunted me in my dreams. I wanted to sketch him for hours, and discover his body as he did so mine.

For. Hours.

But I couldn't. I was stuck in this damned classroom, expected to act perfectly and politely. I really wished I could just say "fuck it," but I couldn't. I had to be good.

For now.

I wanted to hiss. I wanted to pout petulantly. I wanted to growl and stamp my foot and just plain old have a tantrum.

But again, I _knew_ I couldn't. I had to wait for us to be alone. I had to wait until the end of class so we could speak to each other uninterrupted.

Maybe we could ditch class…?

I mean, it's not as if we would get in trouble. Well, we _could_ but we wouldn't. I had no doubt that Edward could dazzle them into letting it slide, anyway. Plus, he could make up the excuse that he wasn't feeling well…

Besides, it wasn't as if they could call my parents. They didn't know where I was, and as far as Forks High knew, they were unreachable in Singapore.

I bit my lip, undecided. I heard a low growl next to me and peeked up to the side. I smiled and blushed. There he was, my mate, looking down at me with seemingly never ending desire in his deep, black eyes, but there was also love; _eons_ of love.

My breath hitched.

He looked into my eyes curiously, his eyes slightly narrowed, as if he was trying to focus on something. I frowned in confusion, looking up at him but he smiled reassuringly and shook his head infinitesimally.

"Are you alright?" he asked and I gasped.

_His-his voice, _I thought, stunned. _It's exactly as it is in my dreams!_

I swallowed and nodded slowly. He smiled at me, dazzling me completely and I almost passed out.

"Good," he whispered. His eyes flickered up to the wall and I nearly followed his eyes, but I really didn't want to look away from him at this point. "It's nearly the end of class. Would you like to skip the rest of the day and come back to my home?"

My mouth fell open, my thoughts scattered. I knew I could only say yes, because really this was exactly what I wanted… but at the same time, I was a little nervous at to what would happen if we did.

He seemed to read that from me, and he smiled. "We would go no further than you wanted to…?" He chuckled, his tongue flicking out to swipe against his lower lip. "Name?"

I smiled and blushed. "Isabella. Bella, Bella Swan."

He smiled down at me. "Well, my sweet Bella, I am Edward. Edward Cullen."

"Edward," I repeated quietly to myself, a slow smile spreading across my face. It was perfect, really. A strong, steady, old-fashioned name… it fit him perfectly.

He was silent for a few moments, before he frowned and said, "So would you like to? Come back to my house, I mean? I imagine we have a lot to talk about."

I nodded. "Yes, of course. You're right. We do."

He smiled, opening his mouth to say something just as the bell went. We both breathed out sighs of utter relief, quickly grabbing our books. We nearly ran out the door.

Before we knew it, we were out of the building, quickly heading toward the forest. When we reached it, we came to a standstill.

"I would like to apologise in advance that this is our only way of making it home," he said quickly. "My siblings, you see, are still in class and I doubt they would like to have to run home. I hope you don't mind. Of course, if you'd rather we took the car, then of course we can?"

I smiled. "No, it's ok. I like to run."

He smiled at the same time that he cocked his head to the side and looked at me curiously. It made me terribly self-conscious, and I began to look down only to be stopped. We both gasped as a shock ran through us and I sighed as Edward cupped my cheek, the electricity thrumming strongly between us.

"Please never look away from me," he begged quietly. "I've waited so long for you…"

I smiled and looked up slowly from behind my eyelashes. "So have I," I whispered.

He swallowed. "You really are a vision, you know. You're even more beautiful than the first time I saw you." I blushed of course; standard reaction. "And _that," _he marvelled aloud. "You, blushing, it's simply gorgeous. But how are you able to do it? You're not human, I'm sure of that, but you're not a vampire – well, at least not completely. So what are you?"

I smiled up at him, though nerves were running through my body. "Take me away from here and I'll tell you."

He smiled that peculiar crooked smile that I had already come to love, his hand sliding down to mine. He took it into his and yanked softly, making me step forward.

"Come," he said and I knew I'd go anywhere as long as I was with him.

* * *

**So it's longer than usual, and they got in a little introduction. Next chapter, they talk more in depth, I promise. I'm going by my schedule here.**

**Have I made up for my 2 week absence?**

**See you next week - I promise! **

**Please review,**

**bexie25**


	12. Stay

**Hello**

**Long time, no update. I know. I'm sorry. I don't know how the time flew, but it did, and it did so pretty fucking quickly. I hope I still have you all here?**

**You're getting two updates tonight, and it will be like that until we finish the story. Edward's chapters will update every Monday, Bella's every Friday. So yeah, Monday and Friday are the days for this story now.**

**Did you know that if we hadn't missed so much time, the epilogue would be posted in two weeks? Well yeah, that's how it would be.**

**So, I'm trying to make it up to you by updating twice a week. I have even mapped it in my school diary so I will remember. :) **

**Next chapter is the lemon, BTW. So yeah... read quickly. ;)**

**I love these two chapters.**

**See you down the bottom!**

* * *

**~O~**

_Then I heard your heart beating_

_You were in the darkness too_

_So I stayed in the darkness with you_

**~O~**

* * *

Running alongside my mate brought many feelings to the surface. I was happy, contented, and whole, for a start. But there were also complexities that I did not understand—for instance, her heartbeat. It was what kept me afloat in this moment, what grounded me and gave me reason. It was one of the most precious sounds to me in the world… and yet I did not understand why I could hear it.

Again, I was baffled because though she had already confirmed that she was not completely a vampire and that she would tell me, I was still… worried, curious. I had not heard of such a creature as a hybrid, but really, given her responses, her nature, and the very essence of her being, that was all she could be.

But how? As far as I knew, vampires could not procreate; it was one of the many struggles Rosalie, my "adoptive" sister, was faced with every day of her existence. It was one fact that hurt Emmett, her mate, more than anything else.

"Edward," my mate's sweet voice sounded. I looked down to see her looking at me worriedly. I wanted more than anything to comfort her, though I had no idea what was wrong in the first place. "Are you alright? You wouldn't respond when I called your name. Have-have I done something wrong?" That last question was asked so quietly I almost didn't hear it and I stopped, turning her to face me in horror.

"No, Bella," I said, a shock running through me when I spoke her name. "It's not your fault at all. I am just… thoughtful. I wish to know what you are, and I am trying to come up with the answer myself."

She smiled and cupped my face. The movement was so simple, so easy that it seemed almost completely by instinct. "You don't need to. And as I said before, I will tell you what I am, Edward. I will explain everything to you. I promise."

I smiled and lifted my hand to hold hers against my face. "Thank you. I'm sorry; I'm just… overthinking things. It's in my nature."

She smiled and took my hand. "Now please take me to your house? I look forward to having you all to myself for the next few hours."

I smiled at her demurely, though the instinctual vampire inside me was rejoicing at her words and what could happen if we were alone. I gripped her hand in mine, and began to run again. She followed, and we ran, hand in hand, the last mile to my house.

When we neared the house, I slowed, and Bella once again took my lead. We slowed to a jog and as soon as the house was in view, we stopped in front of it.

I scanned for thoughts in the area, and smiled when I heard none. I tugged gently on my Bella's arm and she smiled up at me, following after me as I led her inside.

She gasped. "It's beautiful."

I smiled. "I am glad you think so. And I will give you a full tour. But would you mind terribly if we spoke now?"

She smiled and shook her head. "No, I wouldn't mind," she replied quietly.

I smiled. "Good," I whispered, and I scooped her up in my arms. She gasped then giggled and I swore I heard her mumble something about "just like" and "dreams." I ran with her in my arms, and in a flash, we were in my room. I let her down gently and bit back a moan when she pouted; it made me want to nibble on that luscious, full bottom lip of hers.

She looked around the room, her beautiful eyes travelling over every inch of the room. Abruptly, I felt something that I had never felt before.

I felt shy.

"Edward?" she asked and I turned to look at her.

"Yes?"

She frowned as she eyed me. "Is everything ok? You're awfully quiet, and you seem… nervous, almost." Her eyes widened, and suddenly, she was speaking quickly, so fast that no human would be able to decipher her words. "You know we don't have to do anything, right? If that's what it is, I mean. I mean, I want you and everything, but I don't want to push you. I'd hate to do that; I don't want to cause you any discomfort_—_"

I cut her off, whizzing across the room to put my finger to her lips. She gasped at my sudden proximity and then we both groaned at the feeling of the other's body heat. "Hush, my love. I am nervous, but it's not because of you; not in that sense, anyway. It's just… this is the first time I've ever felt as I do for someone and the first time that any lady not from our family has been in my room. I am nervous because I cannot determine how you will receive me."

Her eyes softened. "Believe me, Edward, I understand that completely. And out of the two of us, it's really me who should be worried. You're not the freak of nature in this relationship."

I growled at that. "Bella, you are not anything of the kind."

She smiled sadly. "Yes, I am."

"Alright then," I said with a firm nod, crossing my arms over my chest. "If you're so sure you are, then I want you to prove it. Tell me what you are, how you came to be, what qualities make up your existence and then I'll tell you if you're a freak of nature or not."

She bit her lip. "I'm afraid."

I frowned and cupped her cheek before I'd even consciously made the decision to do so. "What of?"

"This," she whispered. "I don't want this to end… and I'm scared that if I tell you what I am, it will."

"That will never happen, Bella," I whispered softly, leaning down slightly so I could look into her deep brown eyes. "_Never_."

She looked away then moved slowly over to the window. She crossed her arms. "I'm… I'm a... a hybrid," she whispered.

"A hybrid?" I whispered.

She nodded. "Half vampire and half human," she said, her eyes flitting over to my form and I noted the curiosity and confusion as she saw my lack of response. "You… you knew?"

I shook my head. "I suspected. You have some qualities of a vampire, and yet you have a heartbeat, you can blush, and you grow tired, which presumably means you are able to sleep."

She nodded. "I can. I dream, too," she said, and a small smile graced her lips. She looked at me. "Did you know that if a human finds her mate in a vampire, she dreams of him every night even before she meets him?"

"She does, huh?"

She nodded. "Yes. My mother dreamed of my father every night for as long as she could remember it. When they finally met, she ran away because she was so shocked that the object of her dreams and constant fascination was actually a real person. She had begun to believe that she was going crazy because she could never get him out of her head, and she longed for a man she didn't know. When she felt the connection, she… she panicked. She regretted it immediately." She then looked up at me, tears welling in her eyes. "And I was stupid enough to do the exact same thing. You are only a few years older than me, Edward. I'm eighty right now, and physically seventeen. You are a hundred-and-five, and physically seventeen."

I was shocked, and unable to speak for several minutes. "You… you dreamed of me every night for eighty years."

She nodded. "Dreamed of, longed for, drew…"

"You drew me?"

She nodded with a blush. "Yes. I can show you if you'd like."

I nodded. "Please do. But later. First, stay with me."

She smiled, and in that moment, she looked like the most precious angel there ever was. "I will. For forever."

"I…" I trailed off.

She smiled. "Ask me anything; I will answer."

I smiled at her. "Why are you here?" I asked. "Where are you parents?"

She smiled sadly. "I, like my mother, feared that you didn't exist. It had been so long, you see, and I was scared that… that there was something wrong with me. I longed so badly to be with you, to have what my parents have that I couldn't even look at them. So I ran away… and right into you."

We both smiled at that.

"You have no idea how long I waited, how long I wanted someone like you," she said suddenly, her eyes sad and longing. Slowly, she turned toward me and began to make her way to me. I held my arms open for her.

"Every night, I dreamed of you. I didn't know your name, but your eyes, your face, your smell… I knew those. They gave me something to live for. Something that made me feel like my existence had meaning. And now I have you, and I just… need you. I need to feel you in my arms, feel you hold me, hear you speak my name and tell me that you love me _just _as you did in every one of those dreams."

She reached me then, and she was a vision as she wrapped her arms around my neck and leaned down to whisper in my ear…

"I need you to tell me to _stay_."

I looked into her eyes when she leaned back. As my arms wrapped around her waist, I spoke against her skin.

"Stay, my love… Stay, my sweet, sweet mate. Stay here and love me as I love you. Stay here and be mine."

She sobbed just once, and I held her to me all the faster. "I am yours. I've always been yours, and I always will be. I've been yours since that very first _dream_, Edward!"

"As I am yours, Isabella," I responded strongly. "I have always been yours, even in those dreams of yours. I have longed and wanted and waited for only you. And it is only you that will ever own me. Say it; say that you belong to me, say that you know I am yours. Tell me that you love me, Isabella, just as I love you!"

"I do!" she cried, and I pulled her back so I could look in her eyes. "I love you, Edward."

I smiled. "As I love you…"

* * *

**:)**

**How was that after so long? Ok?**

**Please review both chapters that go up... please...?**

**Thank you!**

**bexie25**


	13. Hearts

**And here's the second one!**

**Funny fact: I started writing this chapter then went back to the previous one to finish that one first, then I wrote the rest of this one. How's that for scattered writing?**

**So, I'm kind of breaking the rules I set for this story. But the word "heart" is in this chapter's lyrics… I just added an "s" on the end. ;)**

**Hope you like it and I'll see you down the bottom!**

* * *

**~O~**

_And in the dark_

_I can hear your heartbeat_

_I try to find the sound_

**~O~**

* * *

I couldn't describe what it felt like. Hearing Edward's passionate words as he told me how he felt, that he wanted me and loved me and wanted me to stay… and me actually saying those three vital words back to him—not in a dream, but in real _life_—having him accept me, and not think me as weird for the dreams and quirks of being what I am…

As I said, I could not describe how it felt. Words flew around in my head, buzzing like bees and I had to whack them all to silence as I looked at Edward. His eyes were still glued to mine, and the look in them… it was so tender, so sweet… so… filled with awe.

It was like he thought me some beautiful Egyptian goddess, or something. Like he… like he wanted me so badly that he just couldn't bear to tear his eyes from mine, like he was pleading me for something…

"Edward," I breathed, and he inhaled immediately, his eyes closing as he let out a low groan. I whimpered at the sound, and immediately, the atmosphere changed. All the previous feelings were there, but they were suddenly more intense, powerful.

I took this moment to really take in my mate's features. His beautiful face, which was angular, but still teenage-like and handsome; his lips, so kissable and perfect; his eyelashes, which were so long that, when his eyes were closed—as they were in this moment—they actually caused shallow shadows to form across his face just under his eyes.

And then, his eyes opened. I gasped.

They were black orbs, filled with need and longing, love and lust.

My hands, which before now, had been curled into fists on my thighs, slowly moved to his face. We both sighed when my fingers grazed lightly against his cheek bones and I breathed in and out slowly as I shifted my body closer to him. He looked into my eyes slowly and swallowed, his eyes flickering down to my lips. He growled when I bit my lip and I moaned.

He gasped when he looked back into my eyes again. "Bella," he breathed, marvelling, his hands slowly coming up to cup my face. "Your eyes… so beautiful…"

I smiled, and blushed at the compliment, to which he groaned. "God, you're a goddess, Isabella. You have no idea how long I've waited for you… and now that you're here…"

"I am here," I whispered, caressing his cheeks and he looked into my eyes again, smiling. His eyes were so full of love. "I love you so much, Edward. You are all I've ever wanted. And you, too, are beautiful."

He chuckled, and the sound was like music to my ears. It was a sound that I planned to hear over and over again, forever. "I love you as well, my sweet, beautiful girl." He pulled me to him then, and I laid my head on his chest and closed my eyes as I listened to the sound of his breathing, felt him hold me in his strong, protecting, loving arms and smelled his wonderful scent.

I sighed. _This _was all I would ever need, and yet it was not enough.

"Edward," I whispered, biting my lip.

"Yes, sweet girl?" he whispered back, stroking my hair. I smiled and purred, resulting in Edward releasing a purr himself.

"I… well, I… I want to_—_" I huffed. "I want you to_—_"

"Baby, take a deep breath and calm down then try again," he said sweetly, still stroking my hair. "I cannot give you what you want if I can't understand what you're asking of me, love. And believe me, I wish to give you anything and everything your heart desires."

I mewled and looked up at him after taking a deep breath. "Make love to me."

He looked into my eyes. "Is that what you want?"

I blushed and nodded. "Yes. I want you to make love to me. I want to feel you inside me, moving in me, making us one. I want you to take me and truly make me yours, to mark me as yours. And I…" He raised an eyebrow and I flushed before mumbling, "I wish to make you truly mine and mark you as mine, as well."

I felt and heard it when he purred. It was deep and reverberating in his chest, and it made me want him all the more. He seemed to get louder after he inhaled and I blushed when I realised that that was probably because he could smell my arousal.

In a flash, we were both lying on the bed, him on top of me, bracing his weight on his forearms, which were planted on either side of my head. His body was against mine, and I could feel every dip and curve, every rigid part of his anatomy.

He looked into my eyes as he began to unbutton my shirt. It was slow, and I could feel the coldness of his fingers as they glimpsed the swell of my breasts. I whimpered and rubbed my thighs together, my nipples tightening instantly.

"So beautiful," he whispered. "So perfect… so mine."

"All of me, everything I am," I whispered, looking into his eyes. "Everything, Edward."

He smiled. "Everything."

And then he pulled the shirt off me, taking his own off as well. I closed my eyes as he removed my bra slowly, trying to calm my frantic heart. I gasped at the sound of his growling purr and then his lips were on my breasts, teasing, caressing, and pleasuring.

"I want to savour you, to go slow…" he whispered against my skin, a purr building in his chest. "But I can't."

"Don't," I gasped, my hands already in his hair, keeping his head right there against my chest. "Please, don't!"

He purred, "Anything."

And then he ripped our jeans and underwear off. I paused and sat up, looking down at my body.

"God, you're beautiful," he whispered and I smiled as he looked into my eyes.

And then he slipped slowly into me, binding our souls together.

There was no pain as he slipped further and further into me, not stopping til he was in to the hilt. I was, more or less, a vampire, and pain was not something that we felt easily.

He looked into my eyes, and laid his body over mine, beginning a slow pace.

"I love you."

"I love you, too," I whispered back, watching his every move. I watched his biceps as he pulled my legs up to wrap them around his waist, the angle creating new sensations that I had never dreamed of nor experienced before. I watched his face as his hair fell into his eyes, and I watched his lips as he leaned down and took my nipple into his mouth.

I arched off the bed, whimpering. I cried out his name and begged for more. And he delivered. When I cried his name, he told me he loved me. When I screamed for more, he drove into me harder, kissed me on the lips and toyed with my nipples.

And, ultimately, he stole my heart and replaced it with his own. We pierced each other's skin and laid our mark on the other for eternity.

He promised to love me, care for me, protect me and need me always.

And I promised each and every one of those vows back, knowing that I could never, ever let him go.

He was mine now, and I was his; our hearts were forever intertwined and in the other's possession and protection.

That was all that mattered now.

* * *

**So I'll see you next week on Monday, and that's when the new updating schedule (Edward chapters on Mondays, Bella's on Fridays) will begin. I hope you all liked these chapters and that you'll review just as much as you used to!**

**Thank you and I'm glad I'm back for this story! ;)**

**Please review**

**bexie25**


	14. The Stars, The Moon

**Hello!**

**Welcome to the new updating schedule. Monday is Edward day, Friday is Bella day!**

**I think for this chapter, these lyrics' meaning would be how happy and blissed out Edward and Bella are because they're finally together. The way Florence sings the lines just makes it sound like it's such a big feeling, like it is otherworldly... **

**So, yeah… that's what I think.**

**And as for the title… the moon and the stars are beautiful at night. Like seriously… but I think I'll let Edward explain it… he does way better, LOL.**

* * *

**~O~**

_The stars, the moon, _

_They have all been blown out_

**~O~**

* * *

I didn't know how long we stayed there, wrapped up in each other's arms, holding each other, our eyes only for each other as we stayed connected in the most intimate of ways. It felt like time immeasurable.

Bella looked into my eyes, a soft smile—just the corners of her lips upturned—playing on her sweet lips. Her doe eyes—round and soft—were full of happiness, contentment, and love.

I never wanted this moment to end, but I knew that, at some point in time, my siblings would arrive… along with Tanya.

And that moment crept up on me before I realized it; all too soon, the mental silence I'd had for hours dissipated.

I groaned, and the sound made Bella look up at me. From the look on her face, I knew she could tell that I was unhappy about something.

"Edward?" she asked quietly.

I smiled down at her, but it turned into a grimace when I heard Tanya's thoughts loud and clear. She was wondering where I was, and why I was not with her. She was wondering if I'd left school to look for my so-called mate—her words, not mine—and she was wondering what would be the best way to coax an answer out of me. The things she imagined were all vulgar to varying degrees.

But then her thoughts took a quick turn for the worse. All of a sudden, she was thinking of the two of us, alone, together and in bed. She imagined me kissing every inch of her skin before I fucked her within an inch of her life.

I shuddered.

"Love, I promise I will explain, but perhaps we could go somewhere for a little while? I think that would be wise. That way, I could explain everything without interruption," I pleaded with her. There was no way I was letting her meet Tanya without a detailed history and discussion about what she would be facing when she did. My love had to know everything before she faced someone like that odious succubus.

She frowned then cocked her head to the side. We were both silent for the space of exactly two of her accelerated heart beats before she spoke in a soft, broken whisper.

"Are you ashamed of me?"

I gasped and was already shaking my head and wrapping my arms around her tighter before she could move away.

"No, love, never," I said emphatically, looking straight into her eyes. "I love you, my Bella. You are all I've ever wanted, all I've ever needed. I am in no way ashamed of you, I swear."

Her lower lip trembled. "Then why do we have to leave before your family gets home?"

I sighed and looked away. "Because there is something I need to tell you about, and I need to do it before you meet my family. I cannot explain now, but know that if we leave now and I speak to you about this before you meet my family, it will make everything easier for both of us."

She looked at me for a moment before she got up and began to get dressed. I watched her for a moment before doing the same. When she was ready, she made a move to walk right past me but I wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her back to me.

"I love you," I whispered, my lips centimeters away from hers. She shivered in what I could only hope was pleasure then looked into my eyes and smiled.

"I know. I love you, too," she whispered back, and by the look in her eyes, I could tell she really did understand, and that she wasn't upset. I breathed a sigh of relief as she took my hand and dragged me over to the window. "We're in a bit of a hurry. By my calculations, we have about twenty seconds before it's too late to leave without your family knowing. So, come on," she said with a small smirk. "Take me away."

And she held her arms out. I grinned at her, and took her up in my arms, sliding the window open before I jumped into the trees a few yards in front of us. She giggled and squealed as we flew through the air, and, as soon as I had a grip on the tree, I climbed up to the top before starting to jump from one to another.

Her lips were then pressed against my ear and I sighed in bliss. The electricity that danced between our bodies wherever we touched had not diminished once.

My Bella eclipsed the stars, the moon, and everything I used to think was beautiful; she was that ethereal thing in the sky that you didn't want to touch for fear you would risk the possibility of tainting her otherworldly, natural beauty, yet you find you are powerless to stop yourself from doing so. She had an air about her that I could not put into words.

When we finally reached a spot I could deem good enough to have this conversation at, I stopped and let myself fall slowly to the ground. Bella's arms tightened around my neck as we fell through the air, and she buried her face into my neck, her lips grazing the mark she'd left there not so long ago. I groaned as I landed lightly on my feet, and I felt my beautiful little mate grin as she lapped at _her_ mark.

My arms tightened around her and I held her fast against me, the sensation so torturous yet so pleasurable that I was stuck between wanting her to stop and crying at the thought of it.

Suddenly, she stopped and wiggled a little in my arms to look in my eyes.

"You did that to me after you marked me and it felt… amazing," she purred. I groaned and squeezed my eyes shut when she gave one long lick, growling when she blew on the wet flesh, making it tingle. "I thought you deserved the same pleasure."

I moaned in appreciation, whimpering when she stopped and motioned that she wanted to be released. Pouting, I did so, but before she was out of my arms, I pulled her back against me.

"I have to touch you," I whispered, looking into her eyes, which were just as crazed as mine seemed to be through the reflection of her gorgeous chocolate-colored eyes. "It feels… wrong not to."

She smiled sweetly and kissed me fully on the lips, whispering against them. "I understand. Now please… let's sit down on that log over there so you can tell me what I need to know."

I nodded somewhat reluctantly, and as she dragged me over to the log, I tried to find the words in my mind to use.

_Well, you see, there's this insufferable succubus that we have staying with us that seems to think I'm her mate! Hah!_

No… no, that wouldn't do.

_Darling, there's a woman named Tanya that has forever been trying to get into bed with me. She's a succubus and won't take no for an answer._

Well, that was marginally better, I supposed.

And then, inspiration struck.

_Bella, we have a family of "cousins," so to speak, that live in Alaska. We have one of the members, the leader of the coven, actually, staying with us presently but she seems to have it in her mind that I am her mate, or that I desire her. I promise you that I do not, and have told her as such many a time, but she won't take no for an answer. I am afraid of what she will do when she finds out that I _have _mated, and that it's not with her…_

Yes. There. That seemed acceptable, or, at the very least, a start.

"Edward, are you alright there?" my sweet angel called and I looked up at her instantly.

"Sorry, love," I said softly, cupping her face and rubbing the pad of my thumb against her cheek. She moaned softly and leaned into my touch, purring lightly. I continued in a whisper, "I was just thinking. I don't really know how to tell you this, and I worry that you will take it the wrong way. I was trying to come up with something to say that will make you see the truth of the matter and will not have you doubting me, or my love for you."

She frowned and looked at me. "What is this thing you have to tell me, Edward? Please, tell me now."

I sighed. _Well, here goes nothing._

"Bella," I said, hesitating slightly. Then, before I could help myself, I blurted the words out so quickly even Bella was unable to interrupt me. "Bella, we have a family of 'cousins,' so to speak, that live in Alaska. We have one of the members, the leader of the coven, actually, staying with us presently but she seems to have it in her mind that I am her mate, or that I desire her. I promise you that I do not, and have told her as such many a time, but she won't take no for an answer. I am afraid of what she will do when she finds out that I _have_ mated, and that it's not with her."

She looked at me, not even blinking, and for a moment I thought I'd spoken too fast for her.

But that all went to hell when I noticed the fire in her eyes, and heard the low growl that was building in her chest. "What's her name?"

I frowned, confused as to why she'd ask _that_ question out of all the others she could have. "Tanya."

She hissed. "Tanya. _Right_. And what does she look like?"

My frown deepened, and I almost didn't answer her, but when I looked up at her, I decided it best to obey her will. "Strawberry blonde, curly hair cut short, pale skin, golden eyes..."

"And, of course, beautiful," she finished for me, and the edge in her voice broke away, allowing pain to seep in. She swallowed and turned around, facing away from me, and my arms literally ached to bring her in my arms.

"To some, perhaps," I replied softly. "But to me, nothing more than a nuisance. It is you that holds me captive, my sweet Bella. Only ever you."

Her breath caught in her throat, but it was when I heard a tiny sniffle that I lost my carefully constructed restraint and teetering patience. I tread the few steps between us quickly and drew her into my arms, turning her around so I could look into her eyes.

"Do you see now why I wanted to tell you away from everyone else? Before you met them?" I asked, and she burrowed her head in my chest, nodding. My face scrunched up in pain, which only worsened when I felt my shirt dampen. I pulled her back and bent my knees a little to look in her eyes as I caressed her cheeks with the tips of my fingers. "Be strong, my love. Be confident with the knowledge that I love, want and need only you. Know that when she looks at me, I do not return the looks with one of affection, but rather annoyance."

She looked up at me, and my heart broke at the sight of her red, red eyes and the tears streaking down her perfect face. "You mean it?"

I nodded and smiled. "I made love to you, marked you as mine with the mating bite that will forever be etched on your flawless skin, and professed my love to you, did I not?"

She nodded, a small smile playing on her lips.

"Then know that I really do mean it," I whispered softly, and I leaned in then and kissed her fully on the lips. She moaned and her hands flew up to grab my face. She pulled me to her and I grunted as our bodies aligned, and the electricity heightened and sparked anew.

"You are my stars and my moon, Isabella Swan," I whispered against her lips. "You make the world worth living in."

She smiled, looking up at me from behind her eyelashes. "Come on," she whispered, "let's go face this bitch who thinks my mate is hers."

* * *

**Gotta love a possessive Bella, ay?! Yeah, she's alright. *Winks***

**Anyways, see ya on Friday for Bella's chapter!**

**Please review!**

**bexie25**


	15. Shadow

**Hello, hello, hello!**

**Welcome to the first Friday (BELLA) chapter! And what a week it has been... 16 000 words written in one week, and a 1/4 of that was for this story. ;)**

**So, this time the lyrics are from Tanya's perspective… more or less. I'm not saying she loves Edward (because she really doesn't) but I think it's more about how he's unattainable… like a shadow.**

**You get me?**

* * *

**~O~**

_No dawn, no day, I'm always in this twilight_

_In the shadow of your heart_

**~O~**

* * *

The run back was silent. I knew Edward could feel my possessive, angry energy, but I also knew he wanted to say something.

He didn't, though, and I was glad for it. I'd hate it if I got snappy with him, and with how I was feeling right now, I just knew that that would happen if I were to speak aloud.

We slowed as we neared the house, and I simply stood there for a few moments, thinking about what I was up against. I'd heard from my parents all about succubi, and while I knew that the mating connection was stronger, I still didn't want this to be the way I first met Edward's family, by cutting a bitch who thought my mate was hers in front of them.

What would that say about me?

I could feel Edward's eyes on me the entire time. I knew he was worried about me and what was going through my mind.

I took a deep breath and turned to Edward, deciding to put him out of apparent misery. "I'm ready. Let's do this. I don't care what she does, says or thinks. I know you're mine."

He smiled and kissed me softly on the lips. It took all my willpower not to just throw him down on the forest floor and have my way with him. At least I found some solace in listening to the words he said; three of them, to be exact.

"Good, I'm glad."

"Just as long as you know that I will stop at nothing to make her realize that she'll never have you," I replied nonchalantly. "I don't care what is considered appropriate or not; she hasn't extended the same courtesy to you when you told her no. She won't get it from me."

He nodded and wrapped his arm around my waist. I sighed when I felt his lips against my temple. We slowly walked up to the door, both of us taking our time, not wanting this blissfulness to end prematurely.

But, unfortunately, it seemed _someone _did not feel the same. The front door was opened, and in a flurry of movement, I was ripped from Edward's side. A territorial, instinctual growl burst from my Edward's lips and I looked over to see him glaring at his sister who was now hugging me overexcitedly.

"Alice, she's fragile!" I heard Edward admonish her. "She isn't as durable as us."

"Oh, hush, Edward! I know that; I'm not hurting her!" Alice exclaimed, smiling an elfin grin. "I'm so happy for you. Your mate, Edward, you found her!"

Happiness swelled in my heart as my dear, sweet Edward smiled and nodded. Even more at his words…

"Yes, I did. And she's perfect, better than I ever imagined her to be. Now if you wouldn't mind, I'd like her back now so I can introduce her to the _rest _of the family."

I felt her nod and bounce exuberantly up and down on the spot. "Have you consummated your bond?"

Her grip loosened on me as she said this, and Edward grabbed me, growling as I hid my face in his chest, blushing with embarrassment. Of course, the fact that I was blushing only added to that embarrassment. I felt Edward smiling as he pressed a kiss to my hair. Then I heard him say, "Alice, really."

"What?" she asked, sounding awfully innocent.

"We're not answering that," Edward answered gruffly, annoyance clear in his voice.

I felt Edward shake his head, and then Alice said, "Come along, then. There's no time like the present for this. It's going to be hard enough, what with Tanya and everything."

That got me. I growled and looked up at Edward. "She's not touching you."

He shook his head. "I won't let her, love."

I nodded to myself and mumbled, "Good."

_I still plan on throttling the bitch._

"Well?" Alice asked, already standing—quite impatiently—at the door. "Are you coming or not?"

"Yes, yes, we are," Edward said, and I lifted my head up to see him shaking his head with exasperation. I smiled. _This must be what it's like to have sisters. _He continued on. "We'll be in in a minute, Alice. Please let the others know that we are coming."

She nodded and in a flash, she was gone from sight.

Edward turned to me, letting out a breath in a huff. I giggled, purring when he rubbed his nose against mine. "So you've met my sister Alice, there."

I nodded and smiled. "She's very…" _exuberant_ "…nice. I like her."

He smiled that crooked smile of his that made me just want to tackle him and smooch every inch of his skin until my lungs were burning for air. "I'm glad. Alice is a very agreeable person… when she wants to be, of course. She can also be quite stubborn, so I'm sure you two will get along well."

I huffed playfully, and pouted, making my mate growl. He held my face in his hands and kissed me fully—deliciously—on the lips. I hummed in pleasure.

"Let's go inside," I said, effectively breaking the kiss off. "I'm too nervous to stand out here any longer."

He nodded and took my hand, making me pout and shake my head. With lightning speed, I wrapped his arm around my waist, and Edward chuckled. We slowly walked up the stairs and inside the house. He led me through to the family room. As soon as we rounded the corner, though, Tanya—I could only presume at this point as she looked like the bitch my Edward had described—began to walk toward us, her arms out as if to embrace us. I knew that wasn't so, however, because her eyes were glued to Edward.

My possessive instincts got the better of me, and my mind filled with anger as the bitch eyed Edward's arm around my waist. I growled, unwinding Edward's arm from my body before stepping in front of him possessively.

_Mine, bitch, _my mind snarled.

This blonde Tanya-woman kept walking toward us with a smirk on her face. All I wanted was to wipe it off, so I did something just a little naughty.

Just a teensy bit, really.

The next thing we knew, she hit my shield, which was now out around my Edward and I.

I glanced behind me momentarily to see Edward frowning as he looked between me and this presumably-Tanya-person, who was quite confused now.

"Not so confident now, are you, Tanya?" I smirked, and the look on her face told me I'd gotten the name right. I also heard Edward gasp as he realized that, somehow, his sweet mate—me—was the culprit of Tanya's struggles with the air. "What you're up against is a shield. You aren't able to get past it no matter how hard you try, are you?"

Tanya let out a screech of fury, her hands curling into fists as she began to beat at the invisible force field, only for her hands to jump and jolt back with every hit. "He's mine, you little bitch."

I snorted and straightened out of my crouch as Edward growled at her choice of words. I took a step toward Tanya, smirking in her face and felt my shield ripple and remold itself as Edward moved with me. "Actually, little Tanya, he is mine, and there's nothing you can do about it."

Tanya shook her head. "Yes, I can. I can get him out of this little spell you've got him under. I'll take him from you."

I growled. "I don't think so, Tanya. I have waited for him for eighty years, and dreamed of him every night. You will not take what's mine!" I looked at Edward meaningfully for a second before pulling his shirt down a little. I smirked when I heard Tanya's horrified gasp as she saw _my_ mark on Edward's skin. "See that? That means he is mine. And see this?" I asked, pulling my own shirt down to show off Edward's mark which would forever be etched on my skin. "That means that I am his. We've consummated our connection, something that is so sacred that not even someone with your powers can break it. I've seen that first hand with my parents. Edward won't even be able to get it up for you, though with the way you've been whoring yourself around, I'd be surprised if he ever could!"

She hissed and lunged for me again. I smirked as I jolted back into Edward's arms, his body vibrating as he growled at her. He pushed me behind him and shifted into an attacking crouch, arms forward and out, waiting for her rebuttal.

"Take one step closer and I'll rip you to shreds, Tanya," he ground out.

She gasped, her hand flying up to her mouth.

I rolled my eyes at the dramatics, and laid my hand on his shoulder, making his eyes flicker up to mine and they softened. "Don't worry, baby. She can't get to me; she can't get to either of us. My shield is still up."

Edward frowned and let out a relieved sigh. "I would have rather liked to have known that little detail before you unleashed it."

I blushed and looked down sheepishly. "Sorry. I just… I didn't know how to tell you, and it never really came into conversation…"

He tucked a finger under my chin and dragged it up so I looked at him. He was smiling a goofy, toothy, happy smile. "I love you."

I shrugged and smiled a small smile. "I love you."

I ignored Tanya's little hiss; that—_she_—would be dealt with later.

It seemed Tanya didn't like the attention not on her, because suddenly, she began to speak again. "Edward pays a lot of attention to me. Did you know he plays the piano? No?" bitch said, giggling in my face. "He composes, too. He plays this one piece all the time for me…"

Just from the look on her face, I knew not to trust her. This was proven a moment later when Edward was suddenly standing over her. I could see him shaking with anger, his hands balled up into fists.

"I've never done any such thing!" he growled, glaring at her. "There was a reason I never played it for you – it was for my mate, and it was, up until this point, unfinished. Besides, I will play it for no one by Bella."

Tanya huffed as my heart swelled. I felt my cheeks heat up as I blushed and I smiled a small little smile, biting my lip.

Then I giggled and looked up at Tanya. "Did you forget he could read minds and would know exactly what you were talking about?"

Edward looked at me. "How did you know? I don't recall telling you."

I shrugged. "You kind of did inadvertently. When we were lying in bed and you suddenly told me we needed to go somewhere to talk about her before I met your family." I looked at Tanya with a sickly sweet smile. "He didn't want me to worry, you see. Though I can see it was over nothing special."

She growled and my shoulders started shaking as I collapsed into giggles. She huffed and, after sending me one harsh glare and even a snarl, she turned on her heel and flew out of the room.

"Well, now that she's out of the way… for now at least," I said to myself, before turning to the rest of the people in the room. "Hi, everyone, it's very nice to meet you all! I'm Edward's mate, Bella."

_Well, that was an ice-breaker._

* * *

**So, yeah. I love me a feisty Bella, and from the responses I got from the ladies back of FB in my FF group, so do you readers! ;)**

**Please review and I'll see you on Monday for Edward's chapter...**

**bexie25**

**P.S. Thank you for getting me over 200 reviews this week! :)**


	16. With You

**Hello again!**

**Sorry this is a little late. I had a very stressful day today. Thanks to Chandrakanta for betaing it, as usual. She's a speedy gonzalez when it comes to betaing...**

** For this story, darkness doesn't mean anything negative. Well, it does sometimes, but never mind. ;) In this particular chapter "**_**So I stayed in the darkness with you**_**" is something that's happy because they're together. They're happy, content and just basking in their connection. Staying in the darkness, for them, is just being in their own world, really.**

**This chapter is actually a bit of a nothing chapter in that it's a filler. It covers a time jump in which Bella and Edward pretty much did nothing but made love and got to know each other a little better. Now, they're back at school.**

* * *

**~O~**

_So I stayed in the darkness with you_

**~O~**

* * *

I walked into the Biology classroom with my Bella at my side, a smile on my face as I remembered the past month of just the two of us. We had been perfectly alone for most of the day as the rest of our family lived their normal lives. We'd stayed cooped up in our room, getting to know each other's minds and bodies thoroughly and without interruption.

_For a month_.

And it was all over with today, our first day back at school after meeting each other here in this very room.

My smile widened, and this, my mate noticed.

"What are you thinking?" she asked, both amused and suspicious.

I made no move to answer at first, instead pulling out her chair for her and pushing her in as she sat down. I sat down in mine as well then turned to her. "I was just thinking of our month alone…"

I heard her sharp intake of breath as I sorted my books just as the teacher entered the room and began the class.

I honestly tried to keep my hands off her, but it was just so hard. After a month alone, with no restraints when it came to physical love, suddenly being in public, and not only that, but being _watched_ by others to make sure we were appropriate at all times, was so hard.

When class was over, and we were walking to our next class—yes, ours; I had changed all my classes to Bella's this morning upon arrival—Bella grabbed my hand and squeezed, making me look at her in shock.

"That was mean!" she hissed under her breath, glaring at me.

I smiled at her innocently. "I have no idea what you are talking about, my love."

She growled under her breath and I moaned at the sound, remembering this one time…

"Edward!"

I jumped and looked down at her before sighing. "I'm sorry. It's just so hard…" She raised her eyebrow and I huffed. "I didn't mean it like that, but for your information, _that_ is getting there, as well," I continued, looking around before I adjusted myself. From Bella's snicker, I wasn't nearly as stealthy as I'd tried to be.

She turned to me as we neared the gym, wrapping her arms around my neck. She leaned up on her tippy toes, and I down, both of us letting out low moans as our lips met. Unfortunately, we had to keep it chaste and quick.

We sighed in disappointment as we walked into the change rooms, separating to go into the males' and females' locker rooms.

I changed quickly, my mind focused on seeing my mate again soon. I was filled with undying impatience and annoyance at both being alone with her once again, and holding her as I wanted to; as we were not allowed to when at school.

Perhaps my only solace was that Tanya, while still staying with us, no longer attended school. She had dropped out at the same time that we had, but had, surprisingly, kept to herself while at home as well.

Neither Bella nor I had seen her since that little incident the day I'd introduced my mate to the rest of my family. And my, have they all taken to her.

Bella had well and truly become the missing piece of the puzzle. She fitted in well with our family, and everyone had taken an immediate liking to her.

When I was done changing, I locked my clothes in the locker, and put the key in the pocket of my sport shorts. I quickly raced down to the gym, my eyes immediately finding Bella in the far corner.

Unfortunately, however, she was in undesirable company.

I growled, possessiveness filling me and I dove for Michael Newton's thoughts as I quickly walked toward them.

_God, she's beautiful, _he thought. _Why does she have to be with Freak? She's gotta just be with him for the sex. Not that I get that 'cause I'm sure I could show her just as good a time. _

I growled again, mentally begging for Bella to look away from him as I walked towards her and see me, but this did not happen until I was only a few yards away.

"Edward," she breathed, smiling as she saw me. Immediately, she made her way to me, narrowly avoiding Michael's outstretched, grabbing hands.

I smiled down at her, wrapping my arms around her waist. "Hello, love," I said loudly, before dropping my voice level. When I continued, I spoke so fast no human would be able to understand me… that was, if they could hear me in the first place. "I'm sorry I wasn't here in time. If I had known, I would have come down immediately. You should have called for me, darling."

"I know, I'm sorry," she whispered back at the same pitch, volume and speed. Before I could reassure her that she had done no wrong, she continued, "I was going to, but he seemed to only want to speak to me at first, Edward. I wasn't aware of his hidden intentions."

I kissed her cheek. "Don't worry about. I didn't hear his thoughts, though he was well within my range." I pulled her with me toward the bleachers, away from Newton. When I sat down, I patted the seat next to me and she smiled, taking it.

She laid her head on my shoulder and closed her eyes. "Where is our teacher? Shouldn't they be here by now?"

I frowned, looking around. Every student was here, and yet our teacher was nowhere in sight. I let my mind go, reaching further out as I searched for Coach Clapp. When I didn't find him, I turned to Bella. "It seems he isn't at school today, love."

Her eyes lit up with hope. "Does that mean no sport?"

I smiled at her, thinking of how utterly adorable she was. "Yes, I believe it does."

"Good," she replied. "I hate sport."

I laughed. "You know, as a half-vampire, you have the grace to play it and play it well."

She sighed, closing her eyes. "Perhaps, but that doesn't mean I enjoy it."

I pressed a kiss to her hair, and laid my cheek against her head, closing my eyes too. I sighed, perfectly content.

"Isabella?" I asked softly after a while.

"Yes?" she asked just as softly.

"May I take you out on a date tonight?" I asked, an unfamiliar rush of nerves filling me.

"Uh," she stammered, and I felt her lift her head. I opened my eyes and looked down at her. "I-I guess so. If… if you want to."

I smiled widely. "Good. And yes, my sweet, if it's all the same to you, I would really love to."

She smiled at me and shrugged. "Then do."

I smiled and closed my eyes as she laid her head back on my shoulder, already planning the night in front of us.

_I cannot wait to be alone with her…_

* * *

**And next chapter we'll hear from Bella about the time jump and the date! :)**

**Please review and I'll see you this Friday!**

**bexie25**


	17. Your Heartbeat

**Hello!**

**Sorry this is late. This week has been a little crazy for me. **

**Though I know Edward doesn't actually have a heartbeat, it's more about their connection. Most of the lyrics I use have a deeper meaning and this chapter's lyrics lead on from last chapter (in their meaning) We must remember our Edward and Bella are kinda still in their honeymoon period… though for vampires it's always there, it's more intense at the moment. ;)**

**I know I must sound like a weirdo when I talk about the lyrics and title I chose, but I really want you to understand where I am coming from; it gives a deeper meaning to the chapter, I think.**

**Thanks to Chandrakanta for beta-ing this... and giving me the lyrics for this chapter. I had a lot of trouble with it! **

**Bella in her outfit for this chapter is in my FB group and on my photobucket.**

**Photobucket: **s1108 dot photobucket dot com/albums/h411/bexie25/Cosmic%20Love/?action=view¤t=418790_461882293882329_1888144893_n_zps3bf3cf4b dot jpg

**FB: ** facebook dot com/photo dot php?fbid=157946134364632&set=o dot 327932867322639&type=1&theater

* * *

**~O~**

_And in the dark, I can hear your heartbeat_

**~O~**

* * *

I must admit that when Edward asked me out on a date earlier this afternoon, I was half scared and half excited; I wanted everything to continue on perfectly as it had for the last month of getting to know each other and connecting with one another… and confirming our connection over and over again… but, at the same time, I knew we had to get out into the real world and live like seemingly normal people.

Right now, however, as I sat in Alice's room as she helped me get ready, I think I was just… happy and excited. I had come to terms with the need for us to reacquaint ourselves with the real world, more so, I suspected, than my dear mate had. I knew that we couldn't continue in the oblivious cloud that we had for the last month…

But my mind rebelled. I was silently planning to ask Edward if, the next time we moved, we could have a few years… or decades… to ourselves. My instincts were constantly telling me to bed my mate, to mark him, and to touch him. I knew, logically, that this was because of the newness of our relationship, but I still couldn't quite get myself to accept that, right now, we couldn't just do what we wanted.

We had obligations.

_And Edward is not making things any easier, _I thought to myself, sighing exasperatedly as I smiled, the love I felt for the amazing man I was mated to swelling in my chest. I thought back to his teasing on the way to the gym and the tone of his voice as he said the words renewed the need I always felt for him.

My breath hitched.

"Bella?" Alice sang softly, and my eyes opened—not that I'd realized I'd closed them in the first place…

I looked up and over my shoulder. "Sorry, Alice. What were you saying?"

She smiled knowingly, raising her eyebrow. Her lips twitched with amusement, though she desperately fought to keep from laughing. I growled, and she controlled herself immediately. "Um, I was just asking you if you wanted to wear the pearl or peach colored twill wrap dress. I have shoes that would suit either, so it's really up to you. You would look beautiful in both."

She held them up, and sure enough, both were beautiful and definitely something I would wear. They were pretty much the same, but the peach colored dress was a little more innocent; it flowed and was loose but somehow form fitting as well; the dress was also long-sleeved and V-necked.

My mind was easily made up as I imagined it on me. I smiled up at her and pointed to the peach one. "I'll take that one; thanks, Alice. It's gorgeous."

She beamed. "It really is," she chirped, flitting away to put the other one away. She was back within half a heartbeat, a pair of nude colored pumps in her hand. They suited perfectly, just as she had said they would.

_And I thought my mother was good with fashion, _I thought to myself.

"Now, for your hair, I was thinking maybe we could straighten it. Sound good?" she asked, already turning me back around and preparing her hair tools for use. "Then, for makeup, I think we should keep it relatively simple and natural to suit the color of the dress and shoes. And no jewelry except for this…" she said, handing me a gorgeous little silver ring with a large opal in the middle.

I nodded. "I like it, Alice. You really know your stuff. I know I can count on you to make me look good."

**~O~**

And look good, I did. When Alice was done, I could hardly recognize myself.

I hugged her. "Thanks, Alice. I look really good!"

She laughed, and it sounded like wind chimes. "You're welcome, Bella. Anytime… now, there's really not much more I can do for you. I think you're ready."

I nodded. Listening carefully, I smiled widely when I heard Edward pacing down below. "Edward's waiting for me. I guess I should go; I don't want to keep him waiting any longer."

"No, please don't," I heard Esme say from downstairs. "He'll wear a hole into my carpet."

I laughed, but stopped when I heard my mate hiss. Suppressing a smile, I said, "I'm sorry, baby. I'm coming down right now. Please stop pacing."

I giggled to myself, and he sighed, but I could just tell that he found it a little amusing. "I will try, my love."

I took a deep breath and thanked Alice once more before I gathered the bag. I ran at my natural speed into mine and Edward's room, collecting anything I felt I needed and putting them in the small handbag Alice had given me. I looked around the room once more, and when I was satisfied that I had everything I needed, I left the room, turning out the light and closing the door behind me.

I stopped at the stairs, peering down to see Edward still standing there. I knew for a fact that he couldn't quite see me yet, and I was thankful. I took a deep breath, and heard Edward as he reacted, knowing I was close.

"Bella?" he called softly. I closed my eyes.

"Yes, my love?" I called in return.

"Come down to me," he said. I bit my lip before slowly beginning my descent down the stairs. I kept my eyes down, but when I heard Edward gasp as he saw me, I couldn't help but look up.

All I could see was the awe and love on his face and in his eyes. He was smiling that crooked smile of his that I loved, and I blushed as he purred lowly at the sight of me. I smiled a small smile, too, happy that I had this effect on him.

While he was indisposed, and, well, _distracted_ by my appearance, I took the chance to run my eyes over him as well. He wore a black suit and tie, with a crisp shirt. His hair was in the usual, untamable, disheveled up-do, and my fingers twitched; I wanted to run and curl my hands through his hair as I kissed him senseless.

In a word, he's delectable tonight.

"You look beautiful," he said at last in a mere whisper. He smiled as he looked me in the eye, and in the blink of an eye, he was standing in front of me, pulling me to him. "You always do, but… Bella, tonight, you are extraordinary."

I smiled. "Thank you."

He growled under his breath. "Your blush, Bella… you have no idea what it does to me."

I giggled and wrapped my arms around his neck. I leaned up just slightly, the pumps helping me a little as far as height went. I rubbed my nose against his, looking into his gorgeous, shining eyes as I pecked him, not-too-innocently, on the lips. Then I said, "Oh, I think I might."

He chuckled and released me, making me pout. He held his arm out for me. "Shall we?"

I beamed up at him and linked my arm through his. "We shall."

* * *

**Again, a bit of a filler but with what I have in store for these two in the next two chapters, I think you'll be happy with me. ;)**

**See you on Monday!**

**Please review**

**bexie25**


	18. My Falling Star

**Hello**

**I know. It's been ten days and you've missed out on a week worth of updates.**

**It's just... well, this chapter... or should I say, Edward... wasn't co-operating because he was worried you'd think it was too early to do this.**

**So instead, he resorted to defending himself in the chapter. **

**;)**

**The chapter title is My falling star... Edward explains it better than I could, LOL.**

**I'll let you get on to it... enjoy.**

* * *

**~O~**

_A falling star fell from your heart_

_And landed in my eyes_

**~O~**

* * *

Bella looked… well, there really were no words to describe her tonight. As I'd told her, she always looks beautiful, but tonight she was… stunning, amazing, gorgeous, incredible.

As I drove toward our destination, I had to tear my eyes away from her and focus on the road many times. From the sounds of Bella's giggles, she knew of my struggles.

I sighed and tried, once more in vain, to keep my attention on the road. But beside my love's very alluring appearance, my mind was elsewhere anyway.

To my Bella, this was an ordinary date.

To me, this was so much more… because by the end of this night, I hoped my mate would also be my fiancée.

Males were known throughout the vampire world for fast engagements. Marriage itself was a mere technicality, and the outcome was always sure to be 'yes' because of the connection that was forged between mates at first sight.

But that didn't make it any less nerve-wracking.

I had been more than surprised when my sister had taken me aside and shown me all the plans she'd made for my proposal. When I'd told her that this was what I wanted to do tonight, she had immediately thought up extravagant plans that were simply not my Bella and I.

And so I had turned her down. I had told her that I would not be going ahead with any of her plans, and when she demanded why, I explained to her the truth. That this was my proposal to my mate and that I would do it my own way, one that suited both my mate's and my needs, wants and likes.

"Edward, where are we going?" Bella asked me.

I glanced at her and smiled. "It's a surprise, my love."

She pouted.

"Please indulge me," I begged her, my right hand leaving the steering wheel to cup her cheek and pull her face up so I could see her eyes. "Please, sweet girl. I promise you, you will love the surprise."

_I hope so, anyhow, _I thought to myself as an afterthought.

She smiled. "I'm not worried or angry, honestly. I just don't generally like surprises. I never have."

I smiled at her softly. "Well, you may just like this one," I said quietly.

Ten minutes later, we had arrived, and if it were at all possible, my nerves grew to new heights.

Bella noticed, but said nothing as she took my hand and we began to run. I tried to focus my thoughts on the feel of her hand in mine rather than what I was about to do.

I glanced at her every few seconds, waiting for her to realize the significance of our surroundings, or where we were.

I hoped she would remember, for I was taking her to the little clearing where I'd first seen her, and to the tree that she had hid behind; the one I'd found her against.

I let memories flow through my mind, and I had to stop myself from chuckling. As we passed where I had been standing when I first smelled my love's scent, I realized something.

Not answering Alice's call, and deciding to chase that bear a few miles out of what I usually would have, had been the best decisions of my life.

They'd led me to my mate.

When Bella gasped, I smiled and looked down at her.

I could see in her eyes that she knew where we were, and that just made this more special, and me more nervous.

We stopped as we neared the clearing I'd found her in, and I turned her to me.

She smiled up at me, her gorgeous brown eyes so deep as I looked into them… it felt like I was looking into her soul.

"Do you like your surprise?" I asked her, my voice a little more breathy than I'd been anticipating because her beauty had taken my breath away.

Her smile widened, her eyes smoldering as she replied enthusiastically. "Oh, yes, Edward! This is perfect for our first date… but… what will we be doing here? Hunting, I presume?"

I smiled and looked down for a moment at our joined hands. I started walking backwards toward the tree that she'd been leaning against when we first laid our eyes on each other. She looked at me, a little confused as she walked with me, letting me guide her. I purred, the carnal mated male within me happy with her response.

"I brought you here because this was where everything in my life finally made sense," I told her softly, stopping as I pulled her around the tree. I pressed her against it and she gasped, wrapping her arms and legs around my neck and waist automatically. I smiled softly at that before I continued. "Just before I met you, I had been hunting and considering leaving my family to find my mate. I was sick of waiting and, well, considering the age-old theory that unmated males eventually went crazy, I decided that if I was not destined to find my mate then I would at least not subject my family to seeing me decline like that."

I swallowed and looked down. "But something in me couldn't do it. I just couldn't think of moving away; the feeling was stronger than it had ever been," I said, looking at her pointedly as she swallowed and smiled nervously. "Just as I finished my final meal for the night and was about to head back, the wind blew in my direction and your scent hit me like a battering ram. I felt… blinded in that moment and I did what I had to do—I followed your scent and let it guide me to where you were."

I smiled faintly at the memory, whispering, "You were so beautiful. And so scared," I chuckled. "I watched you for a moment and delighted in the fact that you seemed to know I was there, watching you. When you came and stood right here, hiding from me, I was conflicted but the only thing I could do was follow you."

"Edward," she whispered, sniffling as she looked into my eyes, tears flowing down her cheeks. "What is this? What are you telling me?"

"You are my falling star, my miracle. You came to me and saved me when the last bit of wavering hope I had left me. And when I saw you, I knew what I wanted immediately; I loved you instantly..." I whispered to her.

As I got the ring out from my pocket and flicked the lid open, the hand that cupped her cheek pulled her face up so I could look into her eyes as I said the next words. From the happy smile she had through the tears, she knew what I was about to say.

"Marry me, Isabella."

* * *

**Yes, I know there's a cliffy... however, you'll be getting the chapter in the next two days so I'm all caught up. Then there'll be a double update (maybe) on Friday. If not, then the Edward chapter will be posted Friday, Bella chapter on Sunday or Saturday.**

**:)**

**I'll see you in a few days...**

**Please review!**

**bexie25**


	19. In the Darkness with You

**Why hello there everyone!**

**Here's the next chapter, just as I said it would be. :) I hope you like this one, 'cause I really do.**

**And just a small announcement… we passed 300 reviews last chapter! *squeal* Thank you so much to everyone that reviewed last chapter and all the chapters before that!**

**Simple lyrical meaning for this chapter - darkness: the heat of the moment, their need. Um, yeah, there's a lemon in here… and another half-lemon ;) *Giggles***

* * *

**~O~**

_You were in the darkness too_

_So I stayed in the darkness with you_

**~O~**

* * *

I looked at Edward, my mouth gaping wide as I stared at him in shock, speechless. I knew what I was going to say, but for some damned reason, I just couldn't speak.

So I stared at him.

"Bella?" he whispered after a few seconds, and I could hear the worry in his voice. "Love? Um, can you please answer me?"

"Yes," I finally whispered back, blinking away the tears as I sniffled. I let out a small laugh, a blinding smile spreading across my lips as I threw myself at him. "God, yes, Edward! Of course I'll marry you. I love you so much."

"Oh, thank god," he breathed, clutching me to him tightly. "I thought for a moment you were going to say no. You didn't say anything."

I pulled back and looked him in the eyes, shaking my head. Then I crushed my lips down on his, wanting desperately to convey everything that I was feeling right now—happiness, love, joy, remorse for making him worry…

"Make love to me," I whispered to him, breaking the kiss off momentarily. "Let me show you how much I love you."

He smiled. "Always; you never have to ask."

I took control, kissing his lips again and thrusting my tongue in his mouth. We moaned feverishly, and he gripped my thighs, lifting me up as he pulled them around his waist. I gasped as he ripped my shirt off, and he took the opportunity to take control of the kiss once again, a low, sensual growl vibrating in his chest. I moaned as the sensation ran through both our bodies.

Clothes were ripped off, but neither of us could tell when or in what order; all we knew was this need that we felt to be one again, to get as close to each other as we could.

"Edward, please," I whispered as he bent down and took a nipple in his mouth. My back was rubbing against the bark of the tree, but I didn't mind as I focused on what this gorgeous man—my mate, my fiancé—was doing to me. "Please, please, please."

He released the nipple and looked up at me.

"Don't beg," he whispered softly. "Never beg."

And with that, he aligned himself up to my entrance and slid slowly in. I cried out, my hands gripping his hair and I looked into his eyes, feeling so out of control. I needed him so much in this moment; it was almost _too _much. I needed him to ground me, to make love to me, to convince me that we had forever.

He set a steady, slow pace that was heated, so heated that I could feel the fire in my belly grow more than I ever had. He hit new spots, all the right ones, making me cry out his name and whimper for more. As we began to teeter over the edge, there was no big hurrah; no growls, nor cries, nor screams. There was just us, just Edward and Bella as we tipped over the edge, our lips molded together, hands grasping as we tried to physically mold into one entity, needing to be even closer still.

And I smiled as my mate slumped against me, holding me tightly in his arms.

Because I knew that no matter what happened in our future, there would always be this.

There would always be Edward and Bella.

**~O~**

"Is it crazy that I accepted, Edward?" I asked softly, looking up at him. We were lying down on the forest floor now, covered in dirt. Edward was on top of me, our legs tangled as we held each other in silence, perfectly content. "Considering how long we've known each other."

"Not at all," he answered just as quietly, shaking his head. He drew lazy patterns onto the swell of my breast, my arm, my chest, touching me softly, not a care in the world. "It's hardly unrealistic when most mates marry within days of meeting."

I perked up at that, lifting my head to look down at him. "Really?"

"Yes," he said, nodding. "The rest of my family… well, they were all engaged and married within a week. Alice and Jasper took about two weeks, but then again, Alice loves her fashion and she wanted more time to plan..."

I thought for a moment. "So… when will we get married?"

He smiled radiantly. "Whenever you like; I do not mind. I just want to show the world that you are mine."

I smiled. "I love you. But I want you involved in the decisions, Edward. This is your wedding too, remember. And you know I'm not like Alice, but I would like a few weeks just to make it perfect for us."

He shrugged a shoulder and pulled me closer, though that was hardly possible considering the position we were in. "Do you want to ask Alice if she would consider being our wedding planner?"

I frowned. "I don't know. I don't think so. For some reason, I just want us in charge. Of course, she can make suggestions, but… I want _us _to design and put together our own wedding."

"You really want my involvement? My opinion?" he asked quietly, his hand pausing against my skin.

"Yes, why wouldn't I?"

"I thought all females had their ideal wedding planned in their heads," he whispered, dipping down to press kisses to the skin his fingers had been massaging and imagining patterns on mere seconds ago. I moaned and loosened my grip on him as my back and head hit the ground softly, my hair billowing out around me.

"I don't," I breathed. "I just want you… what's right for us… like this proposal… it's simple, unique, beautiful and meaningful only to us. That is what I want for our wedding."

He smiled at me, shifting above me, and his actions caused his length, which was still in me, to slide in further. We groaned.

"That sounds perfect," he mused, lazily thrusting into me. I squeezed my eyes shut.

"Edward, I think this is a conversation for a later date," I whispered, wrapping my arms around his waist as he pulled me onto his lap into a much more intimate position.

"I couldn't agree more," he whispered, and we spoke no more for several hours, choosing to bask in each other instead.

* * *

**Ok, so that's it for now. I'll see if I can double post this Friday (I'm sure I will), but if I can't then it'll be one chapter Friday then the next one over the weekend. And then we'll be all caught up, LOL!**

**Please review**

**bexie25**


	20. Scream

**Hello**

**So, this chapter goes out of the plan just a little, which means the next one is gonna be about this long (maybe) so I can fix all that shit up. :)**

**Lyrics dissected: Alice is a big… bitch in this chapter. The lyrics and the title of this chapter refer to her and her tantrum ;) You'll see what I mean.**

**Thanks to Chandrakanta for betaing this chapter, and figuring out the lyrics! I was so stuck it was crazy!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**~O~**

_I screamed aloud, as it tore through them_

**~O~**

* * *

"We're engaged," I said, smiling down at Bella before I turned to my family.

They looked at us, for a split second, in pleasant surprise, before…

"Fucking finally, man!" Emmett boomed. He walked over to us and clapped me on the shoulder. "It's about damned time. And congratulations," he said, looking down at Bella, "I've been waiting to call you my little sister. Seems Stallward finally decided to put his plans into action." He grinned down at my mate, who was looking at him, eyes wide in surprise. "Can't wait to welcome you into the family."

Bella blushed. "Thank you, Emmett. I'm really glad I'll have you as a brother. I never thought I'd have a brother, though I always wanted one."

He threw his arm over her shoulder as I looked at the rest of the family, scanning their thoughts.

I looked at Alice and she beamed at me, zipping over to Bella. She grabbed her hand and started pulling her away, her mind already in a frenzy.

"Oh, I'm so happy for you two, Bella!" she gushed. "We have to start planning immediately. We have so much to do! There's the flowers, the cake, the dress, the wedding party—"

"Oh, well, actually, Alice," Bella began, only to be cut off my sister again.

"—and then there's the ceremony, the guest list. Oh, wow, you've given me a lot to think about—"

"Alice," Bella tried again.

"—what do you think about summer weddings? Or autumn weddings? I mean, there's no way we could have it all ready any time soon! Three months at least—"

"Alice!" Bella yelled in a final attempt to get her attention.

My sister stopped and looked at her. "Yes?"

"We…" She looked over at me, pleading for help with her eyes. I flitted to her side and she took a deep breath, building up the courage to tell Alice what she needed to hear. Finally, she was able to. "You can't plan our wedding…"

Alice laughed. "Oh, you are so funny! Of course I can! Don't worry, I've already started a few of the preparations; we can look over them, of course, but I'm sure you'll love them!"

"Alice," I interrupted and she stopped to look between us. I raised my eyebrow, and stared at her, hoping to get the point across that we were actually very serious.

"You… what?" she whispered.

"You cannot plan our wedding," I told her flatly, looking down at Bella. "Bella and I have discussed it and—"

"What?" Alice screeched, looking between my mate and me. "What do you mean I can't be your wedding planner? Who's going to plan your wedding?"

"We are," I said confidently, wrapping my arm around Bella's waist and pulling her to me. I glanced down to see her biting her lip, and I cupped her jaw, pulling her face up, making her look at me. She smiled, but I could see the nerves behind it and I purred low in my chest, pulling her closer to me still as she laid her head on my chest and sighed.

"Excuse me," Alice intercepted irately, and I growled, my head whipping around to look at her again. I raised my eyebrow.

"Yes, Alice?" I asked, trying to stay calm.

"What are you thinking?" she seethed, beginning to pace, her hands at her head. "Do you even know what you need for a wedding? Do you know how much time it takes? No, you don't, because this is your first wedding."

I grit my teeth. "We can still do it, Alice. We know about weddings; we know the basics, and we want it to be special."

"If I do it, it will be special!" she growled.

"And what will it be if we plan and organize it, Alice? What are you implying, hmm?" I glared at her. "You may be my sister, but I will not allow you to dictate what my mate and I can or cannot do. If we want to plan our wedding, we shall."

She sighed, a frustrated growl coming through from the force of it. "But that's not fair! I've spent weeks planning this for you already! Ever since you told me you had found your mate! And now you're taking that away from me?"

Bella sighed and sniffled, lifting her head off my chest. "Maybe we should just let her, Edward. She's right; we don't know anything about planning weddings."

"Thank you!" Alice sighed, throwing her hands up.

I ignored her, gripping my Bella's hips. "Bella, sweetheart, no; you told me that for our wedding to be special, we were the ones who had to plan it. You told me that you wanted that, and I absolutely agree with you. We know what we want, and we have the support of the family." I glanced at Alice, who was glaring at me. "You could, of course, help, Alice—"

"Help?" she screeched, interrupting me and I clenched my jaw, my eyes closing in anger. "Help? No, Edward. I've already started planning your wedding. I am not letting you take that away from me! I'm your sister, for Christ's sake!"

"Yes!" I yelled, causing both my mate and Alice to jump. "You are my sister, Alice. Which means that you should support our decision, no matter whether you think it wrong or not. And the fact that you have already started planning our wedding just proves how right we are. It is not as if you have asked us if we liked any of your decisions, is it?"

She sighed hard again, and let out this little frustrated grunt. "That's because I already knew you would like it, Edward! Clairvoyant, remember?" she shouted, pointing at herself.

I took a deep breath. "Alice, we are not continuing this conversation. You must accept that you cannot always get what you want. And the sheer fact that we don't want you to plan our wedding does not make it the end of the world. Your plans may be put to use, but only if you show them to Bella and I so we can see if we actually _do _want what you have planned, Alice. And if we don't, oh well! We will find what we want. Can't you just let us do this? Can you not just support us, Alice? Really?"

"No!" she yelled. "You don't include me at all! First, you don't let me help with your proposal and now your wedding?"

I sighed. "Alice, that was because you came to me with ideas that were not me and Bella. I wanted something that was special to the both of us."

"It worked," Bella whispered, looking up at me. "It was so special, Edward… just like I know our wedding will be."

I smiled at her, and kissed her forehead. "I'm glad you feel that way, my love."

Alice huffed and screeched, turning on her heel to run out the door. It slammed and Bella flinched into me; I tightened my arms around her waist to comfort her. I looked over at Jasper, and was just about to mouth my apology for the uproar I'd caused, but he stopped me.

_Don't worry about it, Edward, _Jasper thought to me. _You were right; she has to learn. Thank you. _And with that, he ran out after his mate.

I stared after him, shocked for a moment, before I turned to the rest of my family. They were looking at us, all with happy smiles on their faces, but their thoughts displayed their anger at Alice's reaction.

_Oh, Edward, _Esme thought, _I am so sorry she reacted like that. But Jasper is with her; he will make sure she understands what she has done wrong. And we do support you, my sweet boy. In fact, I really like the idea. _

I smiled and thanked her with a nod.

"Um, I think Bella and I will go up to our room. We'll be down later, I promise," I said softly. "Do you think you could handle telling Tanya, though?"

"Of course," Esme said, smiling at the both of us. Her eyes fell on Bella and her smile fell infinitesimally. _I think you're right, Edward. Bella looks awfully upset. _

I nodded, turning to my mate, who was standing still with tears falling down her perfect face. The sight angered me even more, and I mentally cursed Alice.

"Bella, my love?" I called softly. "Would you like for me to carry you?"

She nodded, swallowing.

I sighed softly and lifted her up into my arms. In a flash, we were in our room, and I laid her down on the bed. She reached for me, and I hushed her, smiling down at her.

"It's ok, my sweet," I whispered, lying down next to her. Immediately, she was in my arms. "I'm here."

"I'm sorry," she whispered and the heartbroken tone of her voice killed me. I felt my ever-present anger at Alice spike once again.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," I whispered fiercely. "Alice was the one in the wrong. She should never have said those things, or responded in that way."

She looked up at me. "But she's right, Edward. We're not including her. We're not being fair. She's your sister, and you told me that she is the one who usually plans all the weddings."

I sighed. "Bella, my love, you do not understand. By the time she came, everyone had already married at least once. They had planned their own weddings, as well. After that, yes, she did plan everyone's weddings. But those times, while special, were not _as _special because they had already had their first wedding which they had planned themselves. Alice does not grasp that concept because she came afterwards, and she, too, planned her own wedding. She must learn, my love."

She sighed, dejected. "But still… I feel like… like we're not being fair or something. I mean, as she said, you didn't let her help with the proposal and now the wedding?" She shook her head.

"And as I said, that was because the ideas she had for the proposal were not ones that would make it special for us," I told her. "And just like the others with their wedding, they had to plan their own first proposals and Alice wasn't there. After that, she has planned it all because it's not someone's 'first'. This is, and she is having trouble simply because she was not there when the others mated and had their 'firsts'. Please, my love, don't let her guilt you into anything you don't want to do."

Just as Bella was going to reply, there was a knock at the door. For a split second, everyone in the house paused, frozen in their current spot, and listened, our instincts blinking on at the surprise.

Bella, however, gasped. "Oh my god," she whispered, and in the blink of an eye, she was off the bed and pulling me along with her.

"Bella, sweetheart, what is it?" I asked her, worried out of my mind as to why she'd reacted in such a way.

"My parents," she said, looking up at me with wide eyes. "They… they followed me. They're here right now. Oh my god!" she said louder.

"Bella?" I heard a man shout. "Get the hell down here now!"

Bella gulped.

* * *

***Giggles evilly* Oh, yeah, I did! Next chapter... Bella's parents!**

**Please review and I'll see you this weekend sometime for the last chapter before we're all caught up and I'll be able to go back to two posts a week instead of... well, four. *Shakes head* Fuck me, I'm never doing that again.**

**bexie25**


	21. Out

**Hello everyone**

**I wasn't actually going to upload this today, but I got in the writing mood and finished it off. In the end, I'm happy I did that because I think you all needed this chapter so you could understand Charlie. There's no ulterior motive; he's just a concerned parent. And their sudden appearance after a month is explained.**

**There was a lot of hating on him in your reviews for the last chapter!**

**Oh, and for these lyrics… think of Tanya in this chapter. :)**

**As always, thanks to Chandrakanta for betaing this!**

* * *

**~O~**

_The stars, the moon, they have all been blown out_

_You left me in the dark_

**~O~**

* * *

I looked up at Edward, feeling a little panicky. This was not how I wanted my parents and mate's first meeting to go.

"Coming, Dad," I said, taking a deep breath to steady myself as I reached for Edward's hand. He smiled down at me, and squeezed the hand he was holding, trying to comfort me. I smiled in thanks and slowly turned around to tug him after me.

I tried to hide my nerves as we made our way down the stairs, and I looked anywhere but my parents—especially when they gasped in shock, seeing Edward, who was clearly my mate, right behind me.

Edward's hand tightened around mine, squeezing softly before he let it go as we reached the foot of the stairs. I was about to protest and grasp his hand again when, suddenly, my father was in front of me.

"Do you have any idea how worried we've been?" my father said, grasping me and pulling me into his arms tightly. Then, in the blink of an eye, he let all of me but my forearms go, which he held as he looked me in the eyes. "I know you left us that letter, but really, Bella… we were so damn worried that something would happen to you; you've never travelled alone before."

"I'm sorry," I said quietly. "But I couldn't take it any longer. The dreams were getting… a little more than I could handle and I had to see you guys all happy and mated every day… I just couldn't take it any longer, so I decided to go and look for Edward." I looked up at my mate. "And I found him."

He sighed and pulled me into his arms once again, as if he couldn't believe I was actually here.

The guilt I felt astounded me, though when I looked at Edward, the guilt dissipated. I couldn't regret leaving if I tried; it had led me to Edward.

When my father let me go, I immediately made my way to Edward's side. He was smiling down at me, and as soon as I was close enough, he wrapped me up in his arms. I sighed, blissfully happy.

Charlie glared at Edward and I barely concealed my hiss. Father or not, Edward was still my mate; my instincts still told me to protect him. Even from the likes of my Dad's idle threats and glares. "If you hurt my baby girl—"

"Charlie!" Mom gasped, cutting him off. She smiled at me in apology before she turned my father around. I suppressed my giggle, burrowing my head into Edward's chest as his arm around me tightened. "They are quite obviously mated. He could never hurt her; she is his reason for being! Are you suggesting you are capable of hurting me physically, emotionally, or otherwise?" she asked, eyebrow raised.

My father spluttered and growled, taken aback by her question. "No—"

"Exactly," she said strongly, her hands on her hips. He swallowed. "And we are a true mated couple, are we not?"

"Yes," he whispered, smiling at her in adoration.

She smiled at him softly, her eyes conveying that look of love that I used to envy. I gripped the arm that was wrapped around my waist and smiled to myself. Now, I had no need to be envious; I had what my parents had. I had my mate.

"Then you know that he could never, ever hurt her," she said softly, "That she is his reason for being, the one thing that calms him and his beast enough to keep him from insanity. You know how truly they complete each other, how happy they are together…" She looked at him meaningfully.

My father swallowed and looked at Edward and me. He regarded us with hard eyes which rapidly softened the more he watched us. Finally, he nodded. "I am sorry. I shouldn't have reacted so…"

"No, sir," my Edward said, smiling softly as he glanced down at me. "It's quite alright; I can understand completely. It's a father's duty; no father would want to see their little girl in the arms of another man. But I wish to reassure you that as long as I am on this earth, no harm will come to Bella."

Charlie nodded. "I know, son. I know." He looked down at my mother with the same type of love that my eyes held for Edward and his for me. This time, like so many others, I turned away, but this time, for the first time, I looked up at my fiancé and smiled, letting him see every ounce of love I had for him.

"So, how did you find me?" I asked, looking between my parents. "And… and how long are you staying?" I asked, silently praying they would stay for the wedding. Of course, they must have known about it; if anything, just before their interruption, Edward and I had been talking about it and they could definitely hear us from down here.

My mother smiled at me, reaching up to brush a few strands back from my face. I sighed, realizing just how much I'd missed my mother's touch. "Well, when's the wedding, dear?"

I looked up at Edward, who smiled down at me. "We haven't really figured that out yet. We only got engaged last night."

"And you must tell me everything," Mom gushed, looking between the two of us. "I want to know the how's, the where's; everything! From the moment you met to the moment we laid eyes on you in this room just a few seconds ago."

"Ok," I said, wishing she'd calm down. My mother had always been a very excitable person; the change to vampire-hood had just exacerbated that. "And I will… but could you please answer the question?"

"Well, we found you by following your scent," she replied. "At first, we thought maybe you'd come back, but when you didn't, I was convinced that either you'd found your mate, or something had happened to you. Of course, Charlie overreacted at that and… well… here we are."

I nodded. "And how long are you staying?" I whispered.

She smiled. "Well, I don't think we'll be able to stay until the wedding. At the most, I'd say about a week," she looked at Dad for confirmation, which was promptly given in the way of a nod. "And then, we'll come here for the wedding when you send out your invitation. Of course, I'd really love to help you with the wedding planning, and I will do so as much as I can this week..."

"Actually, Mom," I interrupted her and she looked at me expectantly. "Edward and I are planning the wedding ourselves."

"Oh, I know, sweetie," she replied with a smile, and I frowned, confused. "Well, we waited a little once we got here. We heard the whole thing between you and that short female, Alice. And I support you wholeheartedly, but sweetheart, you will need help. Even if it's just someone to bounce your ideas off, or give an opinion occasionally. Especially when you look for your dress!"

Her eyes gleamed at that, and I knew I'd have a lot to do this week, my dress being perhaps the first.

"Yes, well—" I began, only to be cut off by a loud crash.

I gasped, immediately encased in a growling Edward's arms as he looked over his shoulder. I squirmed in his arms to try and see the imposter, gasping at what I saw.

"What the hell is going on here?" a crazed looking Tanya fumed, looking around the room. I knew immediately that something was off; her hair was a mess, her clothes were a little frayed and dirty and her eyes… her eyes were red… "You're getting married?"

"Tanya," Edward growled, his arms constricting protectively around me. "No matter what you say or do, it will not change the outcome. Bella and I will still wed."

She glared at him. "You are mine, Edward. Are you honestly telling me that you are going to just walk away from me and start a life with the first bitch off the street that you meet from outside your family?"

Edward roared, and in the blink of an eye, he was on the other side of the room, his hand around Tanya's neck as he held her off the floor. When she began to claw at his hand and wrap her legs around his waist, creating that horrible grating sound, I growled. I threw my shield around Edward, forcing her hands off of him.

_Mine, _my mind thundered.

She let out a screech of anger and frustration, her eyes turning on me. She smirked at me before she idiotically tried to throw herself at him, only to slam back into the position I had her in before as she rebounded off the shield.

I walked toward my mate and the succubus-whore, and when I reached them, I murmured for Edward to let go of her. He looked at me worriedly, but must have seen something in my eyes, for he did just as I asked not a moment later.

I took the same strangle-hold he'd just had on her, and walked toward the door. I worked to keep my expression emotionless as I opened the door and tossed her out into the thick mud.

"Goodbye, Tanya," I said to her before slamming the door and locking it.

I walked back into the room and wrapped my arms around Edward, breathing in his scent deeply as I tried to calm myself down. He wrapped his arms around me, continuing small talk with my family, rubbing soothing, calming circles on my skin.

But I couldn't calm down… not when I had this strange feeling that this wouldn't be the last time we saw or heard from Tanya.

* * *

**Some people in my Facebook group have been asking to read what went down between Jasper and Alice when he went after her. So, since I got a little feel for it, I've decided that that will be another outtake you guys will get once this chapter is finished. And yes, it will be in JPOV. ;)**

**See you on Monday.**

**Please review,**

**bexie25**


	22. You

**Um... hi...**

**Sorry this is so late. I had a crazy last week at school, then had some sort of strange block. Then when I got writing A Choice's next chapter, I just got my mojo back. More on that down the bottom with a little announcement I think you'll all like.**

**This chapter's lyrics are over-used, seriously. But really, for this chapter they are so true. I interpret them as Edward and Bella being perfectly happy in their own world, and then later on, with Edward's possessiveness, which leads them to having lunch alone and they don't care what others think and stuff… I just… yeah.**

**Thanks to Chandrakanta for beta-ing this! :)**

* * *

**~O~**

_You were in the darkness too_

_So I stayed in the darkness with you_

**~O~**

* * *

The evening was shortened after my love threw Tanya out. When she returned to my side, I could immediately tell that something was wrong. She tried to put a smile on her face, but it was fake; she tried to hold conversation, but often found herself distracted, and every time I looked down at her, I noticed the way her brow was puckered, the set of her mouth showing how obviously troubled her thoughts were.

"I am sorry," I said, interrupting Renée, tightening the arm I had around my Bella. "But I think it's time for us to go upstairs. I'm sure Bella's feeling a little tired, and to be honest, I'd like to have some time with my new fiancée."

"That's quite alright," Renée chirped. I looked up to see her wink. "Just don't make too much noise; we don't want Charles withdrawing his blessing, do we?" She giggled to herself and I stared at her for a moment, my lips pursed as I wondered whether she was always like this or if this was just her excited.

"No, she's always like that," Bella whispered, knowing where my thoughts were at, and I looked down to see her smirking. "My mother is a very… excitable person. Her change just enhanced that."

I pressed my lips together to stop from smiling in amusement, instead pressing them against her temple. "Come, love. I have a feeling we need to have a little talk before you go to sleep?" I raised an eyebrow in question.

She nodded, her lips in a hard line and her brow puckering further. "I think that's a good idea."

I lifted her into my arms, and, without a word, carried her up the stairs, into my room, and into my private bathroom. I opened the shower door and turned on the hot water, checking the temperature to make sure it was agreeable to both of us, before I turned back to my mate. I was both shocked and delighted to see her already completely undressed, and the purr I let loose was met with hers as she stepped forward and began to undress me.

I took steady, slow breaths as I tried to control myself. Of course, it wasn't easy; the need to be one again with my mate was quickly overpowering everything else.

And it was clear that Bella felt the same way when she said, or rather, panted, "Maybe we could talk… later…"

"Agreed," I murmured against her lips, and she giggled in surprise as I lifted her up by her beautiful ass and wrapped her legs around me before stepping into the shower. The spray of the hot water made us both shudder, but Bella wasted little time as she placed her hand where my neck connected with my shoulder and leaned forward to press her lips against mine. I groaned, as this caused the rest of her body to press against me, and she whimpered as her erect nipples grazed against my skin.

My right hand left Bella's derriere, snaking up her back to grip her hair as I pushed her against the wall, groaning as she ground herself down on my cock.

"Edward," she groaned throatily, the sound of a mute thud resounding softly in the room as her head made impact with the shower tiles. I swallowed as I looked down at her supple curves, and I leaned quickly down to take a nipple in my mouth, unable to resist. I moaned at the taste of her skin—strawberries, cream, honey—and began to play with her nipple, flicking it back and forth with my tongue as fast, and as hard, as I could, knowing that that was what she loved.

Her fingers wove into my hair as she panted my name and I moaned when she pushed herself down onto my length, the hand I had on her ass flying to her hip to steady her.

"Fuck, Bella, not yet, love," I whispered against her skin and she whimpered desperately, grinding her beautiful, hot core against me hard and I almost felt bad; she was so in need of friction and I was stopping her.

I withdrew my hand from her hair and released her nipple, moving onto the next one as my hand ghosted down her back to grip her other hip. With a close-mouthed kiss to her breast, I gritted my teeth together as I slammed into her, simultaneously taking her mouth with mine to stop both our noises; as Renée had said, we didn't want Charlie to rescind his blessing.

I stilled within her before slowly withdrawing 'til only the tip of me was still inside her. Then, I pushed back forward slowly, setting a sweet, sensual pace; one that Bella and I liked best. Bella's hands in my hair caressed my scalp as she moved with me, meeting me thrust for thrust. I pulled back to let Bella breathe, loathing the habit as I looked at her swollen lips before my eyes drifted up to her beautiful doe eyes, and as soon as our eyes connected, I could not look away.

My beautiful mate was smiling at me, her eyes black and shining with love. The pucker of her brows conveyed the extent of her exertion as she met me thrust for thrust and practically bit her tongue in an effort to stop releasing the noises I so loved to hear during intimacy.

Needing to hear something, even just something small, my thumb pressed against her clit and I rubbed slow but hard circles as I leaned down and took a nipple into my mouth again. She whined in my ear, the hand on my shoulder slipping down to my ass as she pushed me into her harder, and I growled, biting her nipple gently before I flicked it roughly with my tongue. Her back arched and suddenly she was there, squeezing me and taking me with her, our orgasms completely unexpected.

I groaned her name, and her, mine. I kept thrusting lazily as I came in three long streams, breathing harshly in her ear as she clung to me, panting, her pussy still squeezing me for all I was worth.

"I love you," she whispered, her eyes bright and shining as she wrapped her arms around my neck.

I smiled. "I love you, too."

"Let's just… stay here," she whispered conspiratorially and I chuckled, nodding.

I rather liked that idea.

**~O~**

When Bella and I finally left the bathroom and lie down on the bed to talk before she went to sleep for the evening, Bella was quick to reassure me that she had simply been bothered by the thought that we would probably see her again. She also told me, before I could comment, that she was sure she was just being paranoid, and that she was fine now.

"Are you sure?" I asked her softly, tightening my arms around my waist. "Are you really, really sure, love?"

She giggled and grasped my face in her hands, her beautiful eyes boring into mine. "Yes, Edward. I am perfectly fine; you relaxed me," she said, throwing in a coy wink.

I swallowed. "I'm glad."

She laughed. "I'm sure you are, baby. Now come on. I want to sleep." She turned around and I drew her back into my chest, lying down beside her. She looked over her shoulder and whispered, "Besides, I think tomorrow's gonna be one hell of a day. Going to school with this gorgeous ring on my finger when we're posing as seniors? We'll be the talk of the school like the third lesson of the day, Edward! I mean, it may not be as bad as it would were we juniors, but still; no one in this age marries at eighteen."

I smiled down at her, not saying anything as I kissed her lips once, loving it when she kissed me back just as passionately, moaning, before I ended the kiss and laid my head back on the pillow we always shared.

Soon, she was asleep, and I smiled at the thought of tomorrow.

I could not wait to show everyone that Isabella was mine.

**~O~**

True to Bella's presumption, we were actually the talk of the school by the third period. I hated the thoughts that swirled around, all guessing that Bella was pregnant, or we'd been caught in the act of making love and my father had forced us to marry.

Our family wasn't making matters any easier; they were laughing and joking. It was so bad, that at lunch, Bella and I hid outside, away from everyone else.

Throughout the day, I reveled in the thoughts of two humans in particular: Ben and Angela. But their nice thoughts of how happy we were, and that it did not matter what age we are, were lost in the sea of malicious, spiteful, jealous ones.

And it did not stop there. The next day, it was much the same, if not worse; more theories were thought up, and I was constantly on edge as I monitored the thoughts, particularly those of the male populous, some of whom were planning to try and corner Bella and question her about this whole ordeal, offering her "a way out."

I loathed them, and Bella knew this. She tried to calm me many times throughout the day, and the following week, but I was uptight, possessive and protective; my instincts were in overdrive as I made contingency plans for the males that I personally felt got too close to my beloved fiancée and mate.

After two weeks, my little… well, obsession, I suppose… was in no way calming down, and Bella was due to go shopping for her dress with her mother. It was her parents' last day in town, so she wanted to make it special with a "dinner" tonight. She was going with them alone and I didn't mind that in the slightest… it was just this whole dress shopping business that had me worried.

"Where are you going?" I asked her.

She sighed and smiled at me, but I could see her agitation. I sighed, too; I didn't want to make her upset, but I had been so uptight the past two weeks that I felt uneasy about her leaving my side to go to a packed shopping mall.

"Seattle," she said with a raised eyebrow. She sighed again, her hands falling to her hips. "Edward, I will be fine, ok? Mom, Alice, Esme and Rose will be with me; between the four of us, I think we'll manage to keep men—human or otherwise—away from me. Please, baby, you are being ridiculous. I understand when you're like this at school, but outside of school? No. This has to stop."

I sighed. "You're right, I'm sorry," I said, defeat coloring my tone as I pulled me closer to me, wrapping my arms around her waist. She smiled softly at me as she wrapped her arms around my neck, and we both sighed as she laid her head on my shoulder.

"I love you, you know," she said, mischief twinkling in her eye. "Even with your caveman tendencies; in fact, I find them damn hot."

I looked down, a crooked smile on my face as I looked at her through my eyelashes. "Really? Good to know, love, good to know." I stopped for a second then chuckled, smacking her bum, making her jump. "Now, go on; get out of here."

She quirked an eyebrow at me, licked her lips then brushed them against mine, leaning back and out of my reach before I could pull her against me and kiss her properly. With a smirk on my face, I licked my lips and moaned softly at the taste of her.

She whimpered, "Not fair," as she eyed my lips and I could see she was about to say something else when Renée walked into the room, a knowing grin on her face.

"Alright, you two, enough of that," she said, throwing us a wink. She turned to Bella. "Dear, are you ready to go?"

She looked at me longingly once more before she turned to her mother, plastering a smile on her face. "Yeah, I am."

"Alright, good," Renée said, kissing her on the cheek before she left the room.

And almost immediately, Bella was in my arms, her lips on mine. I chuckled into the kiss, and Bella growled, thrusting her tongue in my mouth. I groaned and gripped her ass in both hands, massaging.

Suddenly, she broke off the kiss and withdrew herself from me.

"Bye, baby," she whispered with a smirk of her own and she turned around, grabbed her bag, and left the room, leaving me wondering what in the Sam Hill just happened.

* * *

**So, the announcement.**

**Well, basically, I am thinking of updating either every day or every two days, depending on how busy I am. I wanna do this because I want to finish this story before I go back to school, while I can update as regularly as, well, every day. **

**So, what are your thoughts on that? Let me know ;)**

**And let me know your thoughts on this chapter, please. See you tomorrow for the next one.**

**bexie25**

**P.S. I've found that I really hate writing transitional chapters. This one was supposed to be a massive time jump (well, not massive) but that was just impossible... and part of the reason why this is so late. So, instead, it's over 2000 words long. Hope you enjoyed it. ;)**


	23. My Way

**Hello again ;)**

**So this chapter is crazy long. I hope you like it though.**

**Link to Bella's dress: i00 . i . aliimg wsphoto/v0/522858174_1/Elegant-Sweetheart-White-Or ganza-Wedding-Dress-With-Jacket-Layered-Lace-Appli ques-A-Line-Wedding-Gown-WD . jpg**

**For those who are in my facebook group called Bexie25 Fanfics (link on profile), everything is already there; the wedding dress, bridesmaids dresses, and the suits the guys will be wearing.**

**Explanation of lyrics: this chapter is a lot about Bella trying to find her wedding dress, and having a little trouble with it. She got a little worried and said, but after talking to Edward she laid down what exactly she wanted (made the map) and then found it (found my way back) 'Nuff said. ;)**

**Thanks to Chandrakanta for beta-ing this!**

* * *

**~O~**

_I took the stars from my eyes_

_And then I made a map_

_I knew that somehow_

_I could find my way back_

**~O~**

* * *

"What about this one?" I asked as I stepped out from behind the curtain, the shop assistant close on my tail.

As soon as I came into view, the four ladies before me sighed. From their faces, I could tell they were thinking what I was.

Get out of this shop fast.

"It's… very lovely," Esme said, plastering a smile on her face. My mother, Alice, Rose, and I all snorted quietly. "But I really don't think it's for you, dear. And I don't believe you said this was what you wanted, right?"

I nodded once. This was definitely not what I wanted; it was the opposite. I wanted something simple, beautiful, elegant… this was princessy, elaborate, and tacky.

"Are you serious, Esme?" Rose said, and I swallowed. _Here we go_, I thought in amusement; Rose, I had found, was the bluntest of all of us. "She looks like a fuckin' Christmas tree."

"I agree," I told her before Esme could scold her. Then I lowered my voice and said, "I'm gonna change… and then we're getting out of here."

"Agreed," they chorused under their breath.

Five minutes later, and we were out of the store, walking down Seattle's "wedding dress street" as Alice loved to call it.

I was starting to think this was "shit wedding dress street." 'Cause, seriously… three hours of shopping, and fucking nothing.

If anything, each new store we walked into just got worse and worse… and further away from what I wanted.

_Is it really so hard to find something simple, yet elegant and beautiful? _I asked myself, exasperated.

It was then that I felt a phone being slipped into my hand and I looked up. Alice was there, smiling. "Go on, call Edward; it'll make you feel a little better."

I sighed and nodded in thanks, quickly dialing my mate's number. I held the phone to my ear.

"Hello, my love," Edward crooned and I sighed.

"Hey, baby," I replied.

"What's wrong?" he asked, and I could just tell he would be frowning right now.

"Three hours and nothing," I told him with a huff. "We've gone through four stores now and they just get tackier and tackier. I just… I don't know…"

"Bella, sweetheart, listen to me," he said. "You will find the perfect dress, and if you don't, you could have Alice make it for you; I know she'd love to. But we've still got eleven days until the wedding… and with vampire speed, if Alice did have to make it, it would be perfect and ready for you by our wedding day. I want you to try and calm down, ok? Think about what you want… get a detailed picture in your head and then go window shopping. If you see something you like, or something that's somewhat close, go into the store and check if they have the dress that you want."

I sighed again, but this time, I was calm. "Thank you," I whispered. I closed my eyes for a minute and breathed in deeply. "I just… I guess I'm just frustrated, you know? Part of me wants to be married already…"

"Oh, my love, I know how you feel, trust me," Edward told me, and I could hear the smile he no doubt had on his face in his voice. "There is nothing I want more than to be married to you, to be tied to you in every way possible. But, you know, by the time we're at our wedding reception, you're going to be so glad that we waited to do things slowly and at our own pace. You're going to be forever grateful to your parents for staying a few extra days to stay with you through the bulk of the preparations. Love, I don't know if you realize this, but… once you find your dress, that's most of the work done. I've been told by many a wise woman that finding the perfect wedding dress is the hardest thing to do when it comes to planning a wedding. But just… go with your gut, with what you _know _you want."

I took another deep breath through my nose, exhaling through my mouth. "I will. Thank you, baby. I love you so much."

"I love you," he hummed. "Now, go, love. Go find your perfect dress and then come back to me."

I smiled widely. "I will."

We quickly said our goodbyes, and once I got off the phone and put it in my bag, I felt a heck of a lot better. I looked to Alice and mouthed "thank you." She shook her head and smiled.

I turned to the others, who were talking about something or other. I waited until they were finished to say, "Do you mind if we go sit down for a while? I think I need a break."

"Sure, baby," Renée said. "Is there somewhere in particular you wanted to go?"

I shook my head. "No. I just need to sit down for a little bit. Edward said I should think about what type of dress I want in detail and then we should all go window shopping."

"That's a good idea," Esme said.

"Yeah, and if you know what you want, then we could separate and try and find something. If we see anything, we'll call you over," Rose said as we sat down on a bench.

I nodded. "Yeah, I like that idea."

"Well, what kind of dress do you want?" Alice asked.

I frowned for a moment. "Um, elegant… simple..." I frowned and I thought for a moment. "I always liked sweetheart neckline." I said, looking at my mother.

She nodded reassuringly. "Those always look good on you, sweetie."

I smiled and blushed, looking down at my hands, which were clasped on my lap. "Um, I was thinking short-sleeves, maybe lace?"

"Ooh!" Rose and Alice said. "That would be gorgeous!"

"Were you thinking some sort of pattern, dear?" Esme asked and I thought for a moment, shaking my head.

"No. But I want the sleeves to be… well, I don't want to wear my hair down," I said, chewing on my bottom lip for a minute.

"Anything else?" Alice asked.

"No," I said, smiling. "As I said, very simple, but… elegant. And I don't want the poofy, princess skirt thing. I want it tighter, I suppose."

Rose nodded with a smirk on her face. "Oh, yeah, we gotta show off that figure of yours, Bella! Edward would go nuts!"

I giggled, but blushed, mentally cursing the human part of me that allowed that. Why couldn't that trait stay with my mother? Then again, my father always beamed when he saw it…

I was shaken from my thoughts by Esme's voice. "Alright, are we ready to go?"

"Yep," I said. "Um, as for splitting up…"

"How about, Alice and I go that way," Rose pointed back the way we'd just came. "I'll be on this side, Alice on the other side?" Alice nodded.

"And we three can keep going this way," Esme finished. She looked at my mother and me. "Which side did you want to take?"

My mother and I looked at each other before shrugging, turning back to Esme. "We really don't mind."

"Well, in that case, we could always just continue down this side?" Esme suggested. "It's only a few more blocks before the wedding dress shops end."

We nodded.

"Call us if you find anything," Alice said as she waited for a few cars to pass before she crossed the road.

"Make sure you text or call _me_," I said at a normal volume, but I knew they heard.

Esme, Renée and I started down the road again, but it was soon apparent that this side of the road had nothing to offer. Slightly dejected, we made it to the crossing and waited for the cars to stop before we crossed the road.

The window shopping was fun, but it was still aggravating when we nearly made it half-way down the road with no success.

"Don't give up hope, sweetheart," Mom said as she wrapped an arm around my waist. I sighed and nodded, laying my head on her shoulder. I didn't even want to look in the windows anymore.

"Oh," Esme breathed, coming to a stop.

We frowned and turned around.

"Esme, wha—" I started.

She turned to me and smiled. "Dear, I think we found your dress," she said, pointing to the window she'd stopped in front of.

I sighed, but still, I followed her gaze.

"Oh my god," I breathed, the ghost of a smile spreading across my face. Esme was right; we'd found my dress… I didn't even have to try it on to know that. "Call Alice and Rose. I think… oh, Esme, I think you're right."

In a flash, Esme had her phone out and was calling Rose, telling her to come to the _Little Bride _store down the road. I thought she would call Alice, but then figured that, considering the pixie could see the future, she would already know.

And she did, because just a few seconds later, she was standing with us, admiring the dress. "Oh, it's really so gorgeous, Bella," she gushed. "And once you put it on, you'll love it even more." She winked. "I should know."

I smiled. "Should we wait for Rose or go in?"

"No need," I heard Rosalie say and we turned to greet her. She was smiling. "I'm here. Come on. I wanna see this dress on you, Bella."

It was relatively easy when we entered the shop. The woman was quite elderly, and ever so lovely. I was almost surprised that she was still able to run the shop, but with her ease, grace, and friendliness, I knew that the day she retired would be a sad one for this store.

"Do you need help getting into the dress?" she asked.

"Oh, I'll be fine," I said, smiling politely. "Thank you for asking."

She nodded. "That's quite fine, dear. If you need any help, just holler. But I really don't think you'll need it; I just know that dress will suit you perfectly."

I blushed. "Thank you again."

She nodded and went back to the front of the store.

I took a deep breath before I started to try and get into the dress. It was fairly easy, unlike all the other ones. When it was on, I nearly started fiddling with it to make sure everything was in the right place, as I had throughout the day with the other dresses I'd tried on. But the dress was so simple that there was no need to. All I needed to do was make sure the lace cap sleeves didn't tear.

When I was ready, I looked into the mirror and gasped. I looked… the dress was… perfect.

I cleared my throat, though there was no need, smoothed my hands over the dress, and then walked slowly out to where the others were waiting.

They, too, gasped when they saw me, and for the first time today, we were smiling triumphantly. They nodded at me, and I at them.

This was the dress.

**~O~**

When we got home, I gave the dress to Alice. She'd readily agreed when I'd asked her to keep the dress until the big day, and I was happy that our fight, for lack of better words, was all water under the bridge now.

Everyone had sworn that they'd guard their thoughts to the best of their ability around Edward. That way, we'd be keeping with the tradition of the groom not seeing the dress before the big day.

Once the dress was safely away, I went upstairs to our room. The door was open, and there Edward was, sitting on the bed. I smiled and walked over to him, straddling his lap and wrapping my arms around his neck. He smiled up at me and we shared a kiss in hello.

"Did you find your dress?" he whispered once I'd pulled away for air.

I nodded, blushing for the umpteenth time today. Edward purred at the sight and leaned up and forward, grazing his cheek against mine. I sighed and threaded my fingers through his hair. "It's perfect," I whispered.

"I'm glad you're happy with it," he told me. "What time are you leaving with your parents?"

I looked at the clock on my bedside table. "Seven-thirty, so, four hours from now."

He smiled that sexy crooked smile of his, and in the blink of an eye, I was on my back in the middle of the bed. I squealed and giggled until he hushed me with his mouth.

"Then I suppose we have a little time," he whispered in my ear. His body was pressed against mine and I moaned, wrapping my legs around his hips.

"I guess we do," I replied, trying to be coy.

The growl he released, and his hasty, insatiable actions thereafter, told me I'd succeeded.

**~O~**

"I'll be back in a few hours," I told Edward quietly.

"Uh-huh," he said, sounding distracted. I frowned and turned around, only to laugh when I realized what was distracting him.

_Me._

Ok, I could understand that. I mean, I was forever distracted by him when he was getting dressed… so turnabout was fair play.

And, if anything, it was nice to know I affected him to the same degree that he does me.

I jumped when cold arms wrapped around my bare waist. My breath hitched as I felt my mate's breath against the skin of my neck; I shuddered as his hands ghosted and danced across my skin.

"Edward," I breathed, swallowing. He hummed and pulled me back against him, which was probably a good thing, because my knees were already wobbly. "We can't… I have to go… my parents…" _can hear everything._

"I can still smell myself on you," he whispered against my skin, ignoring what I'd said. "It's… oh, god, Bella…" He began to purr and I swallowed again. "Smelling myself on you… knowing you're mine… knowing that anyone else who comes across you knows you're taken… it's an indescribable feeling."

I smiled and swallowed again. "I feel the same way," I confessed. "But, baby, we can do this when I come back. I really need to go now."

He nodded, taking another deep breath. He growled. "Ok. You're right. I'm sorry. Please go."

I turned around to see his eyes clenched closed. I bit my lip, bit my smile shone through as I leaned in and kissed him on the lips, unable to resist. He wrapped his arms around my waist, kissing me back just as passionately, and this time when he pulled away, his eyes were light and he was more in control.

"Better?" I asked softly.

He nodded. "Much." He sighed. "I'm sorry."

I shook my head. "Don't worry about it, baby." I turned around and grabbed a shirt, pulling it on quickly. "I'll see you in a few hours."

**~O~**

The hunt with my parents was slow and sluggish.

We were stalling.

"Honey," Dad began, sighing. "I… we love you; you know that, right?"

I nodded. "Of course I do. Thank you for… for being here."

Renée threw herself at me and I grunted. "Oh, sweetie, we'll miss you."

I chuckled, trying to keep it light. "It's only eleven days, Mom. I'll be fine."

"I know," she whimpered, squeezing me a little tighter. I bit my lip, throwing a look at Charlie. My father chuckled and pulled Mom off me.

"See you, kiddo," Dad said, wrapping Mom up in a bear hug. I smiled and nodded. "And tell that Edward of yours to treat you well."

"No need," I said with a laugh. "He treats me absolutely perfectly already, Daddy."

He nodded, replying gruffly, "Good to know. Now, I think we'd best be off now. We love you very much, Bella."

I smiled. "I love you both as well. Eleven days."

"We'll call you every night," Mom said.

I swallowed and smiled shakily. "You do that," I forced out.

And then they were gone.

I stood there for a moment, and took a deep, shuddering breath, before I turned around and sped off, back home.

Back to Edward.

Eleven days… it would go in the blink of an eye.

* * *

**I'll keep it short…**

**And it will because the next chapter (due tomorrow) is the wedding! :) Or, do you want the next chapter to be wedding and reception from E's perspective and then Bella's to be her POV of wedding and reception? I had planned for E's chapter to be the wedding and B's to be the reception, but I'm flexible. :D**

**Please review,**

**bexie25**


	24. Left Blind

**Hello there!**

**I'm sorry this is late and it's shorter than a wedding chapter should be. Edward was a little, uh… well, it was hard to get anything from him, let alone this much, so… yeah. :) Hope you like it anyhow.**

**Thanks to Chandrakanta for betaing this.**

**Lyrics are the same as the ones in the next chapter, and explained then. As for the title… it'll make sense when you get to the part where Edward first sees Bella. Enjoy this chapter… :)**

* * *

**~O~**

_A falling star fell from your heart_

_And landed in my eyes_

_I screamed aloud as it tore through them_

_And now it's left me blind_

**~O~**

* * *

I heard the approaching mind just a second before the person they belonged to knocked on the door.

I swallowed as I looked at myself in the mirror.

In just half an hour, I would be married to my mate, the love of my life.

I was not nervous, I was calm. I was ready. I had waited for this day for over ninety years, and now that it was here, it was almost hard to believe. I wanted so much to be married to Bella already, but at the same time, I wanted to savor this moment and the time before me.

I couldn't wait to see my Bella in her wedding dress. I knew she would be beyond beautiful.

I remembered, with a smile, how she had struggled the day she found her dress. I was so glad that she had called me and I'd been able to help her. She'd been so happy when she came home…

"Darling boy, can I come in?" Esme asked softly and I shook myself from my thoughts.

"Yes, come in, Esme," I said, turning around.

Esme entered the room, her purple dress—which matched my tie—billowing around her. She looked lovely. "How are you?"

I smiled. "Good. I'm ready."

She smiled. "So is your Bella. Very ready, in fact; she's impatient."

I chuckled, smiling, though I was desperate to go to my mate. It may have only been mere hours since I'd seen her last, but it did not matter; every fiber of my being still ached to be near her.

"Anyway," Esme continued, pulling me from my thoughts again. "I just came to tell you that it's time and to go downstairs."

I nodded. "Alright, I shall. Thank you, Mom."

She smiled, delighted. It was rare that any of us called her as the role she played to the rest of the town, but when we did, it always brought a smile to her face. She darted forward and pressed a kiss to my forehead, hugging me quickly, before she flew from the room.

I turned around to look myself in the mirror once more, fiddling just a little with my hair. Resigned, I stopped when I came to the conclusion that no matter what I did, I would not be able to tame my wild hair.

_It has a mind of its own, _I thought with a sigh as I left the room and made my way downstairs.

When I reached the bottom of the stairs, I looked around. Though we'd done a quick rehearsal a few nights ago, we had not gone through it with everything set up. It was quite a shock to see the cluster of twenty chairs in two rows on either side of the white carpet aisle. The colors were very nice and easy on the eye: grey, purple, and white.

We'd had a little trouble finding someone to minister the wedding, until Bella's parents told her over the phone that their friend, Paul—who had ministered their wedding—was quite happy to perform the task, and he had the legal capability to do so. After discussing it, we decided to ask him and he readily agreed.

This would be the second time I met him, as we'd only been introduced to one another at the rehearsal.

"Edward," he said with a smile, reaching for my hand.

I grasped it and we shook hands. "Paul."

"Nervous?" he asked me.

I shook my head. "Absolutely not… I'm ready, impatient. I want to be married already."

He chuckled. "I'm sure."

Carlisle, who was doubling as my best man and the MC for today, approached us then. "Are we ready? I need to usher the guests in if we are."

I nodded eagerly, and both he and Paul chuckled. I scowled before I told my father, "Yes, we are."

He nodded and seconds later, guests slowly filed in. I took my place at the front of the aisle, and Emmett and Jasper followed, chuckling.

"You know, for the first time, you could actually pass as my Alice's twin," Jasper said, chuckling at my excitement. I, too, laughed as I realized I was bouncing slightly on the spot.

Moments later, Carlisle was at my side. He gripped my shoulder and whispered, "Congratulations, son. She's beautiful."

I looked at him and nodded, clasping my hands in front of me as Irina began to play soft music on the piano that Bella and I had organized for the bridesmaids to enter with.

Alice, followed by Rosalie, made their way down the aisle, wearing the same dress as Esme. They both were thinking of how lovely Bella looked, though other than that, their thoughts were blocked carefully. I nodded slightly at them in acknowledgement, ignoring Jasper, Emmett, and then Carlisle's thoughts as Esme came down the aisle and took her spot next to the girls.

When the music changed to the traditional Bridal Chorus by Wagner, I swallowed and took a deep breath. My mind was with Bella as I listened to her come slowly down the steps with her father. I breathed in deeply at the same time that she did, and then, all of the sudden, I could see her.

And there were… no words.

With a beautiful smile, twinkling eyes, and a blush coloring her cheeks, my Bella was beautiful, stunning, gorgeous and so much more. It bothered me that I could not find words to describe her beauty, even in my thoughts, but even then I couldn't dwell on that thought. Everything in me was focused on her, captivated and entranced by her.

This beautiful woman was mine and I could hardly believe it. I had waited so long, and for her to be here in front of me now, in such a beautiful dress, as well… I wished to touch her, to hold her, to kiss her and shout for joy that this sensational woman loved me.

When she reached me, I barely heard Paul as spoke to Bella's father. I could not tell you what he said; my eyes were for only Bella.

We gasped when her father placed her hand in mine, sighing as, for the first time today, we felt complete and utterly relaxed.

It was only from the nudges we both received that we knew when to speak and what to say. Our eyes were riveted to each other, eyes greedily taking the other in. I was sure, though I could not hear her thoughts, that our thoughts mirrored exactly in that moment. Filled with awe and so much love, we could not believe that we were finally here in this moment, and we could not wait to start our forever as husband and wife.

"And I now pronounce you husband and wife," I heard Paul say, though his voice sounded so far away. "You may kiss your bride."

My breath hitched and Bella's heartbeat thundered in her chest, faster than it already naturally was. Slowly, I lifted my hand and my fingers grazed against her cheeks as I stared at her. I leaned in, and she up, and in the moment that our lips met, I saw our whole existence before us.

And I had to say… I loved what I saw.

* * *

**:) I love that little end bit.**

**Hope this was good. Up next, the reception and, uh... a little surprise for you all. ;)**

**Please review**

**bexie25**


	25. You and Me

**Alright. The reception. This was way easier to write than the wedding itself.**

**Thanks to Chandrakanta for betaing this.**

**Lyrics for this chapter were chosen because Bella is very… distracted and filled with awe in this chapter. She can hardly believe that she is Edward's wife and she all she can see is Edward. The title is a collection of words from the lyrics below rather than a direct line itself. :)**

* * *

**~O~**

_A falling star fell from your heart_

_And landed in my eyes_

_I screamed aloud as it tore through them_

_And now it's left me blind _

**~O~**

* * *

We were married.

I couldn't get over it, even as we finished with the photos as everyone ran the few miles to the reception, further away and deeper into the woods. Edward and I had decided that, though we didn't want to share where we'd first met, we wanted to as close as possible. We were already having our photos there, so it was the easiest solution.

I looked down at my rings in awe. They were proof of the union between Edward and I, a symbol of the love that was like a dream to me. Edward was the man of my dreams—literally—and I'd never thought that we would meet, let alone married.

As Edward cupped my cheek and I looked into his eyes, the flash we both ignored going off, I tried to come back to reality. I was floating on cloud nine, and from the look Edward gave me every time our eyes connected, he was the same.

I was his wife. I was Mrs. Edward Cullen.

I took a deep breath, a smile stretching slowly across my face and I blushed.

"Mrs. Cullen," Edward sang, wrapping his arms around my waist. "It's time to go to the reception…" he whispered in my ear, pressing soft kisses to it.

I looked up at him, laying my head back on his shoulder. When I breathed in, his scent infiltrated my senses and I sighed blissfully. "I'm your wife," was all I could say. It was still so… impossible to believe, and yet it was the truest fact I knew.

He beamed at me, his love for me so tangible I could feel it in my bones pouring out from his eyes. "Yes you are… and I'm your husband."

I smiled up at him, humming. "Oh, that sounds so good. My husband…" I trailed off, biting my lip as I looked up at him. "I love you so much."

"More than life itself," Edward whispered back before he let go of me. We both sighed. "Now as much as I want to keep you to myself, we can't. We still have the reception to go to."

"I don't know why receptions are common practice," I said to myself, taking his hand as we began a slow walk, prolonging our time alone together. We both knew that once we got back to where everyone is, we'd be expected to speak to all the guests and socialize… even though all we wanted was to disappear with each other.

"I agree," Edward said before he winced.

I frowned. "What?"

He chuckled, shaking his head to reassure me. "Nothing, my love. Everyone's just so very impatient to see us. Our photographer—"

"Yes, who was that, by the way?" I interrupted him. "You took care of all that, and you seemed to know them."

He nodded with a smile. "It was Kate. Kate Denali. She's a very good friend of the family's, and though a succubus, she's nothing like Tanya. She respects mated unions and marriage; she wishes for it herself, actually."

I nodded. She was indeed very nice. "That's good. I see that Tanya was there. Not that I mind, necessarily; she is family, and you said she was the head of the Denali coven, so really, she kind of has to be at the wedding if her coven members are there."

Edward sighed again and I looked up at him. He hesitated before explaining. "We might want to speed up a little."

I pouted and Edward groaned, mumbling something about "dangerous woman," swiftly pulling me against him to kiss me thoroughly. I hummed and smiled into the kiss at his ethereal taste, an addiction of mine since the first time we kissed. Edward released me too soon for my liking, but the look in his eyes was enough to make me grin as he pulled me close to him. He dropped his hold on me, only keeping his arm around my waist as we began to walk at a slightly quicker than normal—for humans, anyway—pace.

With vampire hearing being so good, just as we reached the little natural archway entrance, Carlisle, our designated MC, announced us. "Please welcome Mr. and Mrs. Edward Cullen."

I blushed as Edward looked down at me, kissing my lips softly before he led me through to where everyone was. I smiled as I quickly looked around; it was more beautiful than I'd hoped. With a regretful sigh and a look of love, we let go of each other. We knew that we needed to thank everyone for coming, even if we didn't like it.

But Edward still gripped my hand as both his parents and my parents came to us. We hugged them with one arm, unwilling to let go of each other just yet. Mom was a crying a little and she squeezed me hard, making Dad chuckle. I could hear much the same happening with Edward.

"We're proud of you, son," I heard Carlisle say and I smiled as Dad hugged me.

"We love you so much, Bell," he whispered in my ear. "You look beautiful… and so happy."

"I am," I told him quietly as he let me go. "I am so, so happy."

He nodded to himself. "Good," he replied gruffly before he turned in the direction of my husband with a nearly bouncing Renée in his arms. I laughed quietly to myself. Some things never change.

Carlisle and Esme were in front of me then. I smiled at them both, hugging them, and Esme was much like my mom—excited and emotional. Carlisle chuckled at my father before he said, "Thank you, Bella."

"For what?" I asked them, confused. _What were they thanking me for?_

"For loving Edward, for finding him, for completing him," Esme continued for him, a motherly smile on her face as she glanced at my mate. I did also, smiling as I saw him shaking my father's hand. "You don't know what he was like before you. He was so empty, he felt so alone. I worried that Carlisle had changed him too young, but I now know better. _Now_,why, he's like a whole other person. So happy and carefree all the time… and we have you to thank for that, dear." She grasped my hand in hers, squeezing it.

I swallowed back the lump in my throat. Edward sounded so much like me in Esme's description of how he was before we found each other. "Thank you, both of you. Esme, for… for being the mother he so needed during those years. And Carlisle, for changing him… without you, I wouldn't have him now and that…" I frowned at the thought, the lump in my throat aching as I looked at my husband. He was laughing with Renée now as she hugged him.

"We understand, dear," Carlisle said. "Now, I think we'd best be letting you move on to the others behind us. I doubt it's a good idea to monopolize the bride." He chuckled as Esme hugged me once more before they walked off.

I sighed, looking at my husband once more and smiling softly.

"Eyes off him," I heard Emmett say, chuckling. "You've got time to marvel at his perfection later." I looked just in time to see Rosalie get him good on the back of the head and he frowned, rubbing his head as she hugged me, ignoring her husband's mumbling.

"You look beautiful," she said quietly in my ear before leaning back. "Congratulations."

I nodded at her. "Thank you… for everything."

She laughed, waving me off. "That's what families do."

I nodded at her words before looking up at Emmett with a fake glare and a raised eyebrow.

He swallowed. "Lookin' fine, B," he told me and I blushed, which only embarrassed me. He chuckled before wrapping me up in one of his tight bear hugs. "Congrats, little sis."

"Thanks, Emmett," I said, shaking my head. Emmett really was a unique character. "Thank you as well, Rosalie." She smiled and nodded, taking her husband's hand as they walked over to Edward. I bit my lip as I watched them for a moment, knowing that Emmett was going to piss Edward off.

The growl I heard my husband release and the smack I heard not a second later confirmed that, and I snickered. Edward's head snapped around and when our eyes met, his softened as he smirked and raised an eyebrow. I blushed and looked away, to which he chuckled.

It was at that moment that something happened. My eyes found Tanya and I was shocked to find her staring at one of the guests. His hair was longer than my Edward's, and was a mix of dirty blond and dark brown. His red eyes were gazing at her just as intently, and I quickly identified him as one of my parents' friends, Alistair.

I was shocked, not because they were looking at each other, but because of the meaning and the intensity behind the look. As they inhaled deeply, perfectly in sync, and whimpered, my guess was solidified into an answer.

They had mated.

Suddenly, Tanya found my eyes and she swallowed. A small smile appeared on my lips and I nodded at her. She hesitated before smiling back at me, nodding as well, and then she and Alistair closed the distance between themselves.

Before I could see what happened next, the next two guests—also my parents' friends, nomads Mary and Garrett—got my attention and I took a deep breath before I engaged in conversation with them. My mind was still reeling.

The rest of the thank you's and congratulations moved on sluggishly, and I was relieved when Carlisle called our attention, and asked for everyone to sit down. We weren't having dinner, as no one hear ate food and it was impractical to serve blood as drinks for obvious reasons.

So next we had the speeches, and the best man—Carlisle—was first.

"I would like to propose a toast to Bella," he began. I blushed, and of course, a few chuckles resounded from the guests. I'd been blushing so much today… too much. "My son would not be the happy, carefree man he is now if it were not for you. I must thank you for not running away because of his slightly overbearing tendencies, ones that I am sure you have picked up on by now." He chuckled when I nodded, and I heard Edward moan in embarrassment. With a soft chuckle of my own, I clasped his hand and kissed his cheek.

"I wish you much happiness and an eternity filled with love," Carlisle finished. "To Bella, and of course, my son, Edward; Edward, I am so very proud of you."

He sat down then and Edward sighed before standing up, taking my hand now. "Thank you, Carlisle. I must thank you for your congratulations and your attendance. You have no idea how much more special it makes this day for both Bella and myself, so thank you for that." He turned to look at me then. "Bella, my life, my mate… I must thank you for loving me, for taking me as your husband. I am the happiest and luckiest man on earth, and I will cherish you forever. No amount of time with you will be enough for me… I am quite selfish, as you know… but let's start with eternity. I love you."

I swallowed and nodded. "I love you," I whispered and he leaned down to kiss me as everyone clapped.

"Thanks for that, Eddie," Emmett said and we stopped, Edward growling as he turned around to see his brother holding the microphone.

"Emmett, what are you doing?" he hissed quietly. "You're not supposed to-"

"Oh, shush," Emmett said, waving him off. "I just wanted to say congratulations once again, and I wish you all the happiness in the world. I love you both."

We sighed in relief as he handed the microphone back to Carlisle, which turned to horror when he snatched it back. "Also," he turned to me. "Bella, I hope you are well rested, because you're gonna need all the energy you can muster up." He chuckled to himself, turning to the guests. "And everyone else, these two will probably be unreachable after tonight, so let's leave them to each other. I'm actually surprised they're still here. We all know what first honeymoons are like. And I'll leave you with that thought, I think," he said, looking at Edward, who was glaring furiously at him. "Night, folks. Enjoy."

"I am going to kill you, Emmett," Edward growled under his breath. I was blushing furiously, my face bright red with embarrassment.

"Yes, well, thank you for that, Emmett," Carlisle said carefully.

The rest of the night passed in a blur. The first dance was next after that, and I cried with happiness, love and joy when Edward told me that the instrumental piano song we were dancing to was a piece he had composed and recorded himself, inspired by me. It was absolutely beautiful; the beginning was filled with a sadness and longing that we both had known all too well, but the rest was filled with happiness and love. I cried as he wrapped his arms around me, and we were off into our own world.

It was hard not to leave after that, but we were glad in the end that we didn't. What ensued for the hour that we stayed afterwards was the funniest thing I had ever seen. All I could say was that Emmett dancing was the most ridiculous thing I'd ever seen.

Never too soon, it was time for us to leave for our honeymoon and we were nearly vibrating at the thought of being alone. Edward had hidden the destination from me, much to my curiosity, but rather than be upset, I merely accepted it. There was always a reason for Edward's actions, and I knew that this was just another way for him to express his love.

"Emmett, really, you are dead," he growled as he stared at his car in horror. It was fixed up with all the typical 'just married' stuff that everyone had nowadays, and though I thought it looked quite funny, Edward was hardly amused. I heard him muttering something about paint jobs and ideal places to hide limbs, but I paid no attention to that.

We were showered with pink rose petals as we made our way to the car, and after hugging our parents once more, we climbed in and readied ourselves to leave.

Edward started the ignition and, hand in hand, we drove away and into our future.

_I could not wait to see where we were going. Or to get Edward alone._

* * *

**I have to say, I think this is my favourite chapter. What say you?**

**Please review and I'll see you tomorrow for the first honeymoon chapter (there's two of 'em). Yeah, you know what's coming!**

**bexie25**


	26. Two in the Darkness

**Hello**

**Sorry this is so late, and the story isn't finished yet. Between the problems with FF actually working and my small little problems with writing chapters for this story, there's a shit load I could do until tonight. However, here is the next chapter...**

**No lemon here, but one in the next chapter (uploading it tomorrow afternoon... my time... hopefully) after that, in BPOV. You'll get it when you get down to the AN down the bottom. :)**

**Lyrics explanation: I know. These are seriously what makes this whole story, LOL. But anyways, for this chapter, Edward's very insecure and nervous as he takes her to their destination about their wedding night. But instead he decides to focus on Bella, and realizes that he's just being silly because she is his mate and they love each other. As for the title, the little change of the word 'too' to 'two' (LOL on how that reads) needed to be done. And I think it works :)**

**So, yeah. On with the chapter now.**

* * *

**~O~**

_Then I heard your heart beating_

_You were in the darkness too_

_So I stayed in the darkness with you_

**~O~**

* * *

It was with a tremendous sigh of relief that I settled into the car, driving away from the house and all the guests within it. Today had been the best day of my very long existence, yes, but right now, I was craving to be alone with my mate.

Bella seemed to feel the same, something I picked up as she held my hand in both of hers. I could hear her purring quietly—something females did only when they were perfectly content and happy—and I was unable to hide my own in response. The fact that my mate was happy—blissful, even—was something I took great pride and joy in… just as any male vampire did and when it came to their mates.

"Where are we going?" she whispered as I shifted gears.

I looked down, which I admit was a terrible mistake. Swallowing away my desire as I saw the look in her eyes as she watched me, I kept my eyes on the road and said, "You know it's a surprise, my love; I shan't tell you."

She huffed, and I didn't have to sneak a glance at her to know she was pouting. I groaned quietly to myself; _oh, what my mate does to me…_

"Edward," she said and I clenched my eyes closed for a moment.

"Yes, Mrs. Cullen?" I asked, a smile showing through as I peeked at her. The smile widened as I took in her blissful smile and slight blush at the sound of her new title.

"Where are we going?" she breathed, looking at me from behind her eyelashes. I gulped. "Or can you at least tell me how far away it is and if we will have our wedding night tonight?"

I took a deep breath. "Oh, we will have a wedding night tonight, sweet girl; I can promise you that. And as for where we are going, well… it's not too far, I suppose."

"Are we going by plane?" she asked, excitement in her voice, and I knew it was because I was finally divulging at least a little information.

I hesitated before answering quietly, "No."

She frowned. "We're staying interstate?"

I smiled down at her as the car slowed. "In Forks, actually," I told her, opening the door and flying over to hers."

"What the—" Bella began, but I cut her off as I wrapped her up in my arms and pressed my lips to hers. She moaned and ran her fingers through my hair, gripping it tightly.

"I have a surprise for you," I whispered in her ear. "I want you to close your eyes… don't worry, I'll guide you. I won't let you fall." She shivered as I brushed my lips up and down her jaw, then down her neck before I nibbled on her pulse point and ran my tongue flat against it. The faint smell of her arousal permeated the air and I let out a low growl before I could help myself.

I leaned back and took a deep breath, trying to calm myself, before I turned back to my beautiful blushing bride. For a moment, I simply watched her, enraptured by her beauty. She was standing there, inches away from me, with her eyes closed. Her chest rose and fell with light, slow breaths and the dress she married me in clung to her soft curves, the delicate lace over her beautiful shoulders combined with the sheer, silky fabric made her look like the most breathtaking bride I'd ever seen, in thought or person.

And she was mine.

I struggled with that concept; after so much time by myself, I was unable to quite believe that I had a mate, let alone one that wanted me, loved me, and was as amazing as my wife.

_My wife…_

I smiled. That, too, I could not quite believe.

"Edward," she whispered, and I looked back at her, my eyes refocusing as I came back to the present. I inhaled deeply and smiled, taking her hand.

"I'm here," I said softly. "Come, love."

Walking backwards, I pulled her slowly along with me as we neared our destination. In all honesty, we were only perhaps five miles away from home, but I'd been driving slowly, both nervous and anxious for this and the following moments to come. Tonight, when we made love, it would be different; we would be husband and wife, eternally bound together in every way.

And no matter how sure I was of us, how much faith I had in our love and mating, I was still… nervous. Yes, the only difference was that we now could call each other husband and wife, but to me… and to Bella… it was so much more. In the world we had grown up in, marriage was something so sacred, and people did not treat it as they did now; there were not the kinds of ends to marriage back then as there were nowadays. Though the principle of divorce was there, it was hardly ever done.

But it was not that that made me nervous. Hell, I didn't even know what it was exactly myself… perhaps the new meaning, new depth of our relationship… though of course that was ridiculous.

"Edward, stop overthinking everything," Bella scolded me and when I looked at her, her face was set in a disgruntled expression, though her eyes were still closed.

I chuckled. "Sorry, love."

She shook her head. "It's fine. Just know that I am nervous, too."

I nodded, though of course she couldn't see me.

When we reached our destination, I held Bella's arms to stop her. Breathing in deeply, I looked over my shoulder and smiled; I knew she would love it.

And then I moved to stand behind her. Putting my hands over her eyes, I leaned in and ran first my nose, then my lips, and lastly my tongue down the shell of her ear. I breathed on it and she shivered, her breath hitching, causing me to chuckle; I loved her reactions to me.

"Open your eyes, my love," I whispered in her ear, removing my hands from her face.

She opened her eyes and gasped.

"Edward, this is beautiful," she whispered as her eyes flew over every detail of the house—cottage, rather; it was awfully small—and committing it to memory. I knew then and there that this was the best place we could spend our honeymoon. She turned to me, her eyes light. "I can't believe it… how?"

I smiled and swallowed, looking over her shoulder at the small cottage that now stood just a mile from where we'd first met.

"Esme," I told her, looking back down and into her eyes. "I went to her with the idea, and she loved it; she insisted on getting right onto it. The final touches were made this morning."

"What is this place?" she asked me.

I smiled softly and cupped her cheeks, leaning down to press my forehead against hers. "It's our home."

She swallowed, her breath hitching and her eyes welling with tears. "I love it!" she cried as she wrapped her arms around my neck, her legs around my hips. "And as much as I want a tour, I'm afraid that can wait."

I smirked. "I agree," I purred, opening the door and whizzing through to the bedroom.

* * *

**This is SO not a fade into black, as I said up the top… I just felt that the next chapter (lemon and rest of honeymoon) was best done in Bella's POV. Edward just was a little overwhelmed and wanted to talk about his fears. Of course, if you want their first time together as husband and wife, then I'll write it as an outtake.**

**Let me know, and I'm sorry it's taken so long.**

**Please review,**

**bexie25**


	27. Shadowing You

**Hello everyone!**

**So, here is the third last regular chapter of Cosmic Love, second last normal chapter of Bella's. Yes, that means only one more Edward, although he gets two outtakes in his POV. ;) **

**I hope you like this. I found that it went on forever, so I'm not sure how exactly I feel about this chapter. :)**

**Reviews for the last chapter came very slowly, though that may have something to do with the problems FF has been having? I'm not sure, but I hope it's that and not that people aren't reading anymore. :)**

**Lyrics meaning: though I think you'll understand it as you read the chapter, Bella is very overwhelmed and blown away by Edward. She always feels that way, and tells him so. In the shadow of your heart is more of how they, their emotions, their love for one another shadows each other.**

**Anyways... enjoy this chapter. :)**

* * *

**~O~**

_The stars, the moon, they have all been blown out_

_You've left me in the dark_

_No dawn, no day, I'm always in this twilight_

_In the shadow of your heart_

**~O~**

* * *

Edward came to a stop just inside the bedroom door, and when my feet touched the floor, I let go of his shoulders and turned around. Instantly, I loved what I was seeing; it was beautiful and perfect for our first time together as man and wife.

The bed was a simple four posted, dark wood, contrasting beautifully with the pale bedspread. There was a door just to my right side, which either lead to an ensuite bathroom or a wardrobe, but figuring that out was not what I was interested in doing now.

I felt Edward's eyes on me a split second before he was standing before me, blocking out the rest of the room. We looked into each other's eyes, sharing breaths as he exhaled and I inhaled and vice versa. I was struck by the intensity of his gaze… the desperate look in his eyes. I knew immediately what he wanted, and lifted a hand to his cheek, swallowing as I nodded. I wanted him to see me, just as I knew, just by looking into his eyes, that he wanted to see me.

I knew he was nervous; I could feel it reflected in my own emotions as he took a deep breath, his eyes flickering between mine and the rest of my body. I stole one last glance of him before he turned me gently around.

His hands did not touch me for a few moments, but I could feel his eyes on me. For the first time, I was actually really quite nervous; the difference between our first time as husband and wife, compared to all the other times together beforehand, was so little, but seemed so big, so vast I was almost unable to comprehend anything.

Needing to feel his touch, knowing that he would calm me, I leaned back into him. Immediately, he gripped my hips, steadying me, before he ran his hands back up my back before curling them around my waist. His hands were feeling for something, and I jumped in both surprise at his groping and at the nerves I was feeling. When he found what he was looking for—by now it was obvious the 'thing' was the zipper of the dress—the sound of the zipper unzipping was all that could be heard apart from our own sounds as we breathed, and of shock, appreciation and need.

When the zipper was completely undone, his hands moved slowly up to my hair and I barely held back a moan as he removed the pins that held it in the lovely updo I had wanted. When that was done, he hesitated momentarily, and my mind screamed, _do something, please! _only to cry out praises when he did, slowly beginning to remove my wedding dress from my body.

I could not help but think about the lingerie Alice had forced me into before the wedding had started, saying I would thank her for it later. I hoped Edward liked it.

The feeling of a soft breeze against my skin alerted me to my husband's quick movements as he set the dress down, draping it over a chair in the corner of the room. When he turned around, he gasped and all I could do was look at him, searching his eyes, his face, hoping and praying that he liked it, that I pleased him.

The blackness of his eyes, the desire within them, but also the love and the awe, was enough. As his eyes ran over the short, lacy, semi-see-through, white lingerie I was wearing, I knew instantly that he liked it and I relaxed.

I also noted his incredulity as his eyes landed on the thong I wore. Yes, a very, very lacy thong.

_I will definitely be thanking Alice, _I thought to myself as Edward flew back to me and immediately dropped to his knees before me. The look in his eyes, and the way he touched me, running his hands over my body, made me feel like the most desirable, loved female mated vampire that had ever existed.

I felt like a goddess.

He did not speak once as he continued to touch me, his hands skimming underneath the fabric of the lingerie, tracing the edges of the thong, but never quite touching my skin, though I could feel the delicious heat of his touch, almost as if he were.

I was ridiculously turned on, electrically charged by the touch, feel, smell, and sight of my mate. Even feeling his hot breath against my skin was making it hard for me to focus on anything but him and my want for him.

"Edward," I breathed, opening my clenched eyes to look down at him. He was staring up at me, the look in his eyes making me groan; I could not possibly control myself, and I didn't. Without even giving myself permission to do so, I opened my mouth. "Edward, I need you… now… please. Touch me, kiss me, do something—anything," I cried, pleading with him as I throbbed with need, desperate for him.

Without a word, he granted me my wish. Leaning forward, he carefully lifted the chemise, holding it against my stomach. I felt his breath against my skin and whimpered as it sent shockwaves of need through my body, my clit throbbing, my core slickening. The scent of my arousal hit the air, and with it, Edward's growl resounded through the room. His hands moved to grip my hips and I moaned as he forced my legs further apart, pressing his nose against my bundle of nerves through the panties. My fingers gripped his hair tightly and I tried to push him closer to me, but his vibrating growl made me stop and let out a loud moan.

Slowly, I felt the pressure of my husband and mate's lips pressing against me through the panties, kissing me, only to pull back and run his nose softly against me again. I throbbed, my need for him turning me desperate as I chanted his name over and over again in a whisper.

_More….now, _were the only two words I could think.

Edward let out a growl, this time of my name, and in the blink of an eye, he was standing up. His hand cupped my jaw and my eyes flew open, immediately connecting with his. I swallowed, panting, both my hands lifting up to caress then cup his face. Slowly, almost teasingly, he leaned in. I could feel his breath on me, on my lips, and I just… I couldn't hold myself back any longer. Leaning forward to close the last few centimeters of a gap, I pressed my lips to him, whimpering as I simultaneously felt relief and an even more ferocious craving for him.

"Oh, god, Bella," he gasped, breaking off the kiss abruptly. He looked into my eyes as now both of his hands gripped my face gently. "I love you… I love you so much. My wife…"

And there was the awe in his eyes, the same as it was in mine, as I replied. "I love you, too. I feel so… overwhelmed… every time we are together, every time you touch me. I love you so much, my husband."

"I want you," he told me, his eyes flying from my lips to my eyes crazily. I smiled; he was just as overwhelmed and overcome by feeling now as I was.

"I want you," I reflected with a smile. "Please, Edward, make love to me. I need it; I need to feel you so much… need to consummate our marriage and feel you loving me as your wife… _so much_."

There was nothing else I could say. There was nothing else I _needed _to say. Without a word, he leaned in, this time immediately kissing me and this time, the kiss was soft, tender, and sweet. As his tongue tangled with mine, we shared each breath.

When the kiss ended, Edward lifted me in his arms and gently, slowly, he walked me over to the bed, lying me down onto it. He ran his hands through my hair, looking into my eyes; emotion overcame us, tears welling in my eyes and slipping down my cheeks while his eyes glazed over slightly with tears that would never fall.

I sat up, running my hands over his shirt-covered chest, looking into his eyes still, mesmerized. His hands wandered to mine, halting them, and he linked our fingers together before moving our joined hands to the top of his shirt. Gently, we began to unbutton his shirt together until it was gone and I pushed it off his shoulders, letting it fall to the ground. He then pushed me onto my back while he removed his belt, undoing the buckle. It fell to the floor with a muted thud, followed somewhat quickly by his pants.

He climbed onto the bed and I crawled backwards before settling into the middle of the bed. When he reached me, he kneeled between my legs and ran his hands over the hem of the chemise, pushing it with the back of his fingers up my body, letting his fingers wander over the new skin he was letting himself rediscover.

Slowly, he removed the chemise, gasping again as his eyes fell on the lacy white bra and panties underneath. I smiled up at him and arched my back as his hands slithered behind my body to unclasp my bra. He pulled the straps down my shoulders and arms slowly, and I pressed my hand against the middle of the cups, keeping it there until the straps were off me. He lifted my hand, leaning down and tracing his lips over my neck lightly as he pried my hand off my chest, moving it to my side. I breathed in deeply, rhythmically, as he removed the bra from my body. His lips moved lower, now pressing open-mouthed kisses that left my skin tingling and myself gasping as he moved lower and lower, finally coming to my breasts.

His hands and then his mouth played with them briefly, equally dividing his attention lovingly, worshipping me. Then he moved even lower onto my stomach and my face contorted as I let out short pants and whimpers, my hands clenching and unclenching as desire so powerful I knew not what to do with it flooded through me. The muscles of my abdomen clenched as he swiped his tongue against them, across my stomach, pressing kisses here and there.

Finally, _finally_, he moved down to my panties, which he quickly removed, flinging them across the room. With another look in my eyes, he leaned down and ran his tongue flat between my folds, flicking it at the end when he came to my clit. I moaned his name, my fingers threading through his hair as the pleasure made my muscles clench and my back arch, my core throbbing for his attention.

Because of how long I had desired him, the fire that had already begun curling in the pit of my stomach, it did not take much and was not long before I was crying out his name, my core clamping down and contracting around his fingers.

He crawled up my body and kissed me, letting me taste myself on his tongue as we groaned, gripping at each other. He drew my legs up and wrapped them around my hips, taking a moment to look deep into my eyes and whisper the three words that I lived for, before he slowly, carefully, entered me.

He thrust into me repeatedly, slowly but with enough force that I was whimpering and moaning for him. His lips descended on mine again and again as we steadily edged the cliff, never quite getting there because we didn't want it to end, needing to feel connected like this for as long as possible. Finally, with a new angling of his hips, more speed and force, and his finger rubbing tight circles on my clit, the fire in our stomachs became too much, making us cry out each other's name in ecstasy and outstanding relief.

"I love you, my beautiful wife," he whispered in my ear after collapsing on top of me. Pressing a kiss to my lips, my cheeks and then my forehead, he said one simple word.

"Forever."

* * *

**Aww, sweetness. :)**

**I like the end, methinks. Anyways, next chapter is the last regular chapter of Edward's and then we'll here him from the first half of the epilogue which I think will be quite long, actually; not longer than the longest chapter of this story, but longer than the original 1000 words each chapter was trying to be kept down to, LOL.**

**See you tomorrow! Yes, you will!**

**Please review**

**bexie25**


	28. Always in this Twilight

**Hello!**

**Below is what I had as the AN originally, but I just wanted to say something. Basically, this is re-re-updated from a few days ago during the time when no emails were being issued. However, that's slowly getting better and after the chapter didn't come out in an email, I decided to re-upload.**

**ORIGINAL AN:**

**Finally, it's finished! I thought it never would be, but then I remembered my last resort when it comes to making me write: playing Korean pop music.**

**It works****—****every damn time.**

**Anyways, so this is the second last regular chapter; only one more chapter after this, then the epilogue, and then the three outtakes. :) I'll be starting the next chapter soon****—****in the next few days****—****but my priority after this one is A Choice's next chapter which was due last Tuesday. Yes, I'm a bit behind right now.**

**So, yeah. That's me. I'll see you down the bottom****—****enjoy the chapter! :D**

**WARNING: A sexy Cheekyward comes out to play in this chapter! ;)**

* * *

**~O~**

_The stars, the moon,_

_They have all been blown out_

_You've left me in the dark._

_No dawn, no day, I'm always in this twilight_

**~O~**

* * *

I wrapped my arm around my wife's waist and pulled her against me, tracing my fingers over the expanse of her perfect back as she spoke with her parents on the phone. It was very hard not to lose myself in her once again, as I had practically non-stop for the past two weeks in our little cottage; our home away from home.

We both loved it here; we loved the freedom it gave us, both to just be with each other, and to have absolutely no interruptions. For instance, the general consensus was that, because this was our honeymoon, neither was allowed to have a shred of clothing on at any point in time.

I very much liked this rule.

I often found myself wondering, in the mere few minutes where I wasn't touching or making love to my beautiful mate, whether this was enough; whether this was the best place to go to for our honeymoon. Should I have taken her to some romantic city like Paris or Italy? I'd felt that was too cliché, but… was this enough?

And Bella always stopped me from thinking these things as she happily exclaimed that she loved me, she knew what I was thinking because she knew me, and to stop worrying and make love to my wife instead.

Of course, I readily complied.

Repeatedly.

"No, Mom, everything is fine," Bella giggled into the phone, bringing me back from my reverie. "Yes… ok… Mom!"

I forced myself to calm down, ignoring my blazing erection and the stirring in my belly. However, I could not stop myself as I leaned over my gorgeous love's body and began to press open-mouthed kisses to her shoulder blades, skimming my hands down the middle of her back. The sheet covered her perfectly round behind just up to the small of her back, and I pushed it down, purring at the sight of her as I unveiled her toned legs. Running my hands over her body, I slowly edged closer and before I knew it, I was forcing her legs apart with my thighs.

She gasped and I glanced up at her to see the phone begin to slip through her fingers before she caught it. Swallowing as she looked right into my eyes, I raised an eyebrow, shook my head, and signaled for her to be quiet as I moved my hands up to her shoulders and began to massage them.

She bit her lip, taking a deep, shuddering breath before she turned back to the phone.

"Keep talking to her, love," I said, quietly enough for Renée not to hear me.

She whimpered almost silently, giving me one last glance before she turned back to the phone and reengaged in the conversation. I could see her trying to concentrate, indicated by the little curl of her lip and the slight frown of her brow, but often slipped in focus as I slowly worked her muscles. This was foreplay in its cruelest form: to touch her, but not hear her sounds, not truly _feel_ her where I wanted to.

_Not yet, _I thought to myself in a mantra. _Soon._

"Mom, I have to go," Bella said, once again pulling me from my thoughts. She sounded slightly breathless and I listened as her mother questioned her on it. "What? No, I'm fine—a little tired, actually."

Her mother chuckled. _"I'm sure, darling. Please remind Edward that you need your sleep__—__he's not allowed to run you too ragged. You're not quite so ready for that." _The amusement in her voice was easily heard, and I groaned at my wife's embarrassed blush. I wanted to turn her over and ravish her completely in that moment; knowing just how far down that blush went was torturous.

Bella gasped and looked up at me. Her black eyes, with their pupils dilated, caused a growl to rock through my frame and I looked down at her, my own eyes blackening even further, and licked my lips. My mouth hung open as I stared at her, my arousal upstanding and obvious. When I shuffled closer, it bobbed, smacking against her ass, and I moaned at the feeling; she whimpered in return, and I heard a thump as she shuffled back against me. The friction felt absolutely amazing after the torturous foreplay I had subjected us to, but I remained rational for a moment longer. My eyes flashed to her face and then the phone, which now lay on the floor, presumably with her mother _not _on the other line.

"Your mother is off the phone?" I murmured, looking down at the gorgeous scope of her back, her ripe, round ass, and then her face. My eyes connected with hers and I was momentarily lost.

"Yes," she whispered back, and in a flash, she had turned around, thrown me down on the bed and climbed up to straddle me. "Now fuck me."

I growled at the almost feral expression on her face, sitting up and wrapping her legs around me in a quarter of a second, making her squeal. I leaned in and brushed my lips against hers as my hands found her hips, breathing "my pleasure" against them.

She threw her arms around my neck and pulled me closer by the hair, giving me a bruising kiss—or it would have been, were I able to bruise. She squeezed her legs around my waist and I groaned as I lifted her hips, settling my erection against her sweet, slick entrance. The smell of sex saturated the air and I groaned as I pushed into her slowly. She gasped before letting out a long, loud moan, her hands in my hair gripping tighter.

"I love you," I whispered against her lips as I pulled back out almost completely then pushed in harder, faster. "I love your mind," I growled, my thrusts increasing in tempo, becoming more forceful by the second. "I love your _pussy_," I grunted, pushing gently to make her lay her body back against the bed, my legs still crossed underneath her. I drove into her and she cried out, her face contorted with ecstasy as I hit that sweet spot inside her, and fuck… I was already so close, too close. "Fuck, Bella. Nearly…" My finger found her clit, and I toyed with it, pinching, pushing, twisting, fucking _anything_ as my hand wrapped around her waist and I thrust into her with purpose, so fast our movements were a blur, needing her to come. And I told her so.

"Close, so close!" she chanted, eyes clenched shut. "Just… need…"

I pinched her clit hard, angling my hips to hit her g-spot at the same time. She screamed, back arching off the bed, her heat contracting around me like a vice as she came, and that was it.

I was done, exploding inside of her before I even fucking knew what happened.

I roared her name, burying myself inside her to the hilt before I resumed my thrusts, lazily, as we came down from our highs.

I fell back and she crawled—shakily—up my body before settling herself down on top of me. I wrapped my arms around her, panting, and closed my eyes.

"I love you, too," she whispered silently just before she fell asleep.

I almost envied her for that particular ability. I was so worn out that _I_ wanted to sleep as well.

Alas, I could not, and with a resigned sigh, I did my best to appear asleep, curling up with her as I kept my eyes closed, not thinking a thing.

* * *

**So, yeah. Edward was so damn cheeky, and then Bella… *sigh* Oh, these two. What am I gonna do, ay?**

**:)**

**See you soon with the last regular chapter!**

**Please, please, please review!**

**bexie25**


	29. My Heart

**Hey!**

**So, here is the last regular chapter. Full of nothing, really. :)**

**I'm awfully sad but at the same time, really happy. As those in my Bexie25 fanfics group know, I've had a little trouble with this story as of late, and I'm ready for it to be done now. :)**

**I hope you like this!**

**The lyrics focus on generally the last line of the chapter, which refers to the last lines of the BPOV part of the prologue, as does the title of this chapter. :)**

**Enjoy!**

**P.S. I think I've forgotten to credit her for her awesome work the past couple chapters, so here it is: thanks Chandrakanta for betaing this! She's amazing!**

* * *

**~O~**

_No dawn, no day, I'm always in this twilight_

_In the shadow of your heart_

**~O~**

* * *

"Edward," I whispered against my husband's chest, pressing kisses against it.

"Mm?" he hummed, his hands around my waist, spreading over my ass, making me smile.

"We have to go back sometime soon," I told him, ignoring the groan he let loose. "We've been down here, 'honeymooning', for the past three weeks."

He sighed and looked down at me. I honestly felt for my husband; he looked so torn between wanting to give me, his mate, everything I wished for and wanting to be selfish and keep me for himself. I knew the moment he made his decision, for a glimmer of annoyance and relenting flashed in his eyes. "You are right, beautiful. It is highly distasteful of me to keep you here."

With that, I kissed him hard, at which he groaned. His fingers weaved through my hair as he pulled my face closer, deepening the kiss. I sagged against him as he fell back and flipped us…

**~O~**

"What about school?" I asked him as we walked, hand in hand, very slowly, back to the main house. It was the first time we'd ventured outside of our little home, and it really felt quite strange. I missed the sweet coziness of our cottage… even if we would be coming back in just a matter of hours.

"What about it?" Edward asked, his eyes focused on my face while mine followed the path of our swinging hands.

"Are we going back?" I glanced at him. "We're married now, and eighteen, so technically we don't have to. But at the same time, it would draw attention to ourselves—the exact opposite of what your family—"

"_Our_ family," he interjected, eyebrow raised.

I smiled. "Sorry, my love. What _our_ family wants."

He sighed. "Again, you make an excellent point, sweet girl. And to be perfectly honest, I'm not quite sure. If we go back, we can say that we are married, but I'm not sure we want that kind of attention on our hands. There's also the fact that we've been absent the past few weeks… and we need to move quite soon. While we usually wait to leave after the 'children' have graduated, I'm not sure that is for the best here."

I frowned, completely understanding and agreeing with him. "There's also the fact that we're newly mated, and therefore, well known for having uncontrollable moments of lust. In our first decade, we need time to ourselves, away from society and from others; I think you proved that this morning." I smirked as he growled playfully at me.

And then suddenly, I found myself pressed up against a tree, my legs wrapped around my husband's waist, our chests pressed together and his lips against mine.

He controlled the kiss, never relenting as his tongue explored every centimeter of my mouth. It was magical, and I soon became a little lightheaded; his scent was overpowering everything else and I just… needed more.

I whimpered as the urge grew stronger within me, throwing my arms around his neck and threading my fingers through the fine hairs at the nape. He growled into my mouth, and the vibrations ran through his body and into mine, making us both gasp.

"Edward," I whispered, looking into his eyes. "Edward, my darling, we can't."

"Yes, we can," he grunted, pulling my legs tighter around his waist, pressing his hard-as-steel-length against my core, rocking shallowly.

I succumbed to the pleasure and the feel of my husband's hands on me, unable to really do anything else.

God, I loved this stage of our mating.

I loved even more that it would only get better, more powerful and all-consuming.

We really would have this forever.

**~O~**

"Long time, no see!" Emmett bellowed as he eyed us, a smirk on his face.

I knew what he was seeing: tousled hair, rumpled clothes, perhaps a little dirt and leaves here and there.

Oh, and the smell. Just the fact that he could smell us, the evidence of our coupling, made me red-eyed with anger.

"Shut up, Emmett," I growled, eyebrow raised as I passed him.

"You heard her," Edward warned, and I knew Emmett must have thought something to him. I growled again. "And you know what I'll do if you continue to antagonize her."

Emmett raised his hands in surrender, but the ghost of a grin was still there. I sighed silently to myself; Emmett would be Emmett, and one day, it would get him killed. "Wow… trouble in paradise?"

I whizzed to Edward's side and grabbed his hand before he could do anything. "Ignore him, Edward."

My husband let out a deep, shuddering breath and I never wanted to be on the receiving end of the glare on his face as he stared up at the big buffoon. He wrapped his arm around my waist and kissed my temple, making me smile as I began to lead him into the family room, where I could already hear hi-_our _family waiting for us.

Impatiently, too.

I smiled as we walked through, for as soon as we did, we were pulled in opposite directions. I laughed to myself as the girls took me upstairs into Alice and Jasper's room, knowing we'd be treated to this family dynamic for the rest of our existence.

But I didn't care; I'd found where Edward and I were happy—blissful, in fact.

Who knew my heart was in Forks?

* * *

**That last line refers to the BPOV part of the prologue where it says: **_**I knew all along my heart was not in Seattle… I'd just had to find him to discover exactly where it was.**_

**Anyways, it won't be very long until the epilogue is up - probably on or by Monday - so until then... please review!**

**bexie25**


	30. Epilogue

**Hello everyone**

**You're eyes do not deceive you. This is the epilogue of Cosmic Love by bexie25 that you are reading. At it's quite long, too, because you're reading an EPOV and a BPOV ;)**

**Do not fret, however; this is not the end. There are still three outtakes I have to write. You'll get those in the coming weeks, too, I swear. *Nods and crosses heart with pointer finger***

**In any event, I am so, so sorry that it has taken me so bloody long to update. An entire month tomorrow. *shakes head* An atrocity.**

**No lyrics this time, since it's the epi and there were none for the prelude either. :) Frankly, I think we've battered those damn lyrics anyhow. ;)**

**Just a quick warning… I changed a few things from the way they were in canon. You'll get it when you read. :)**

**One last warning... this has NOT been beta'd by Chandrakanta. It was finished not ten minutes ago and I was dying to get it out. :D**

* * *

**Epilogue**

* * *

**EPOV**

"Oof!" I heard, followed by a mute thud and a small giggle.

In a flash, I'd run from inside the small house to the shore just outside, helping my mate up. "Are you alright?" Though I had no reason to worry, I was. My Bella often called me overprotective and a worrier and I supposed that was true, but really, in her delicate condition, I don't understand how I could be anything but.

She was giggling. "I'm fine, Edward, really."

I looked down at her, unable to truly believe that this gorgeous creature was mine. She was a vision in the pretty little strappy sandals that adorned her feet and a white loosely flowing dress that fell to her ankles. Her hands were on her swollen belly and it was as if it were a magnet, for as soon as my eyes landed on it, my hand, too, was pressed against it.

As if on cue, my sweet little boy kicked. No matter how many times I had felt that, I would never get enough of it. When we found out we were pregnant just seven months ago, we were so happy that we would be parents. It was like a dream come true… again.

Bella hummed for just a moment before I felt the heat of her palm against my cheek. I looked up to see her smiling at me, her eyes alight with happiness. My heart, frozen in my chest, seemed to throb and for a moment I was sure it would beat again. These moments… oh, how I lived for them; to see the happiness on her face, in her eyes, and know that I was the reason for it being there…

"Good," I whispered, leaning him to nuzzle my nose against hers. She hummed again and wrapped her arms around my neck, leaning in as close as she could, though it was near impossible with how big she was.

Not that I would ever say aloud that she was 'big'. My mother raised me better than that.

And even then, she was the most gorgeous, radiant thing I had ever set my eyes on.

"Where's Lizzie?" I murmured against her lips, my hands snaking around her waist and resting on her bottom. Bella frowned and swallowed nervously, so I took her hand, hushing her. We both listened for a moment and chuckled; our little devil in disguise was off in the woods.

"Should we go get her?" Bella whispered to me.

I frowned. "Probably." I released her, sighing as she did. Even after the hundred years that had passed since our first meeting, I still craved her constantly and unrelentingly. "I'll go; you stay here, Mrs. Cullen."

"That's Mrs. _Masen_ Cullen, kind sir," she reminded me sweetly. I smiled despite myself; I loved that she wanted to include my human name.

I nodded, "My apologies, Ma'am."

She giggled as I turned and ran after our crazy daughter. Born seven years ago, Elizabeth Corene Masen Cullen was a perfect division of her mother and me. She was cheeky, intelligent, the devil incarnate, and absolutely perfect.

"Elizabeth Corene," I said loudly and she froze, a growl building in her chest before she turned around.

"Daddy," she mumbled. "I wasn't going to go far—"

"Ah," I interrupted, eyebrow and finger raised to stop her. "I don't care, Elizabeth. You know your mother and I don't like you being out here alone, even if we _can_ hear you. When we first came here a few weeks ago, mum and I gave you the rules that we wanted you to obey. You agreed to them because you knew they were for your own safety and that we are doing this because we love you. You cannot just go back on your word, darling."

She slumped, and I felt awful, but remained composed. My daughter was just as headstrong as her parents and she needed to learn, a slow process though it was.

"Fine," she mumbled before she zipped past me.

I sighed, turned around, and followed her. Bella was now in the kitchen, preparing some food for herself, so I could hear. _She must have another craving, _I deduced. My wife only ate human food when that was the case. I smiled, wondering idly what strange concoction she was creating this time, and walked into the kitchen through the open French doors.

She looked up immediately, smiling. "Hello, Darling. How'd it go?"

I shrugged. "Well, I suppose. She understands that she was in the wrong, and she's sorry. She just, as many do at her age, has a hard time saying the words."

Bella hummed thoughtfully. "She'll get there. She's only seven, Edward, and she was not brought up in the time we were. She does not have a father that will treat her ill if she does not obey; she has a caring, compassionate, strong, and loving father who would do anything so long as she was happy."

I smiled and wrapped my arms around her from behind, kissing her bare shoulder. My hands wandered to the bump that was proof of our son and she leaned back against me, sighing. "How's our little William?" I murmured.

"Active," she said, amusement clear in her tone. I kissed her shoulder again as William Charles kicked again and I was thankful my wife wasn't nearly as… durable… as a human. If she were, this would be a nightmare.

"What are you making?" I asked her.

"A peanut butter and jelly sandwich," she said with a smile on her face. I made a face, and she giggled. "I'd ask if you want some, but…" my nose crinkled in disgust and I swallowed, making her giggle become full-belly laughter. "I thought so."

"I think I'll just… um…" without another word, I left her in the kitchen. Her enchanting laughter resounded behind me, and I shook my head as I stalled in the hall, unsure of where to go. The smell of that god-awful human food was already saturating the house, and I couldn't stand it. If a vampire could be sick, I would have already projectile vomited from the smell alone.

And yet, despite that, I could help but be thankful for all that I had, even if most were surprises I'd only ever dreamed of.

**BPOV**

I laughed as my husband walked out of the room, and a moment later, I heard him stop and gag. Rubbing my belly, I quickly finished making the sandwich and after slicing it in half, I took a bite from one.

I moaned.

_Delicious._

I grabbed the plate in one hand and walked over to the table, setting it down. I sat down myself and quickly ate the sandwich, in the meantime listening out for our daughter. I was very worried about her. I knew she wasn't exactly reacting well to the new boundaries that we had created. She had been raised as a… well, not spoiled… _privileged _child, I supposed. She had never wanted for anything, never had such limitations out of necessity forced upon her. She was an intelligent child, but she had gotten a double dose of stubbornness from both Edward and myself.

A while later, Lizzie walked through the same doors Edward had and I frowned. "Elizabeth," I called softly and she froze before her shoulders slumped, she sighed and she turned around.

"Mum," she mumbled, already walking over to me.

I held my arms out for her and she sat down in my lap, resting her head in the crook of my shoulder and wrapping her arms very loosely around my neck. "Darling, you know you shouldn't have done that," I whispered.

"I don't wanna talk about it," she whispered and I glanced down to see her jaw locked. I smiled softly; stubborn little thing.

"Well, I do," I prodded and she sighed again. "I won't say much on the subject. I just want to remind you of the fact that we love you, your father and I. We want nothing to ever happen to you—if anything ever did, my little one, we would be heartbroken. That is why we set up boundaries that we expect you to follow; because we don't want a time to come where you have disappeared or gotten hurt." I swallowed the lump in my throat and looked down at her. "You understand that, don't you?"

"Yes," she whispered faintly, her jaw still locked. Her eyes flashed to mine then and she sighed. "Can I go now? I wanna watch a movie."

"Of course." I kissed her forehead then released her. "What movie?"

She shrugged. "I was thinking maybe Peter Pan…"

I smiled and nodded. "I saw the first Disney production of that in the 1950's. It was marvelous."

She smiled a small smile before she ran out of the room. "Love you, mummy," she whispered as she went.

I swallowed back the lump in my throat and closed my eyes, a smile of bliss forming across my face. "I love you, too, sweetheart."

Edward came in then, or at least poked his head in the room. His eyes found mine immediately and he smiled that sexy crooked smile of his. "Coast clear?"

I raised an eyebrow, laughing. "How do you mean? If you're asking if the Devil Incarnate is not here, then you should know that. If you're talking about the '_odious smell of peanut butter and jelly_'," I mimicked his voice as I said the words, "Then the coast is mostly clear in that case as well, yes."

He chuckled and shook his head, sitting beside me and pulling me to him in half a second. "Either, really."

**~O~**

"Edward, it's hot," I said, hands on my back as I paced back and forth slowly in our room. My skin was boiling, Lizzie was asleep, and Edward was naked in our bed. I, too, was butt-naked as I paced, and I could feel my husband's eyes on me. I turned to him as an idea popped in my head. "I want to go for a walk on the beach, maybe take a dip in the water. Wanna come?"

He smiled and nodded. "Always."

I smiled and reached for a light linin dress, but Edward's hand caught mine before I could clasp it. I looked up at him, an eyebrow raised in question.

His black eyes met mine and his tongue flickered across his lower lip. "Don't."

"Edward—"

"Liz is asleep," he said, cutting me off and reassuring me, knowing what my concern was. Of course, I would walk naked across the beach at midnight in a heartbeat, but what if our daughter woke up and found us in such a way? That would take some explaining. "And I would know if she were waking up, and get us back here and dressed in time."

I regarded him for a moment, biting my lip before I smiled and nodded. He grinned at me, took my hand, and led me out onto the sand. Because of the desertion of the island, we had no need to lock the doors and even if someone were to try and come here, we would know before they'd even set foot on the island.

The warm sand felt good under my feet as it gave way, caressing the soles. The cool night breeze was refreshing, as was the smell of the salty beach water, and it woke me up but cooled me down at the same time.

Edward's arm was around my waist as we slowly walked along the water's edge. His fingers caressed my belly and I sighed, my head resting on his shoulder. The walk was smooth, not bumpy, like we were running and Edward was holding me in his arms. It all lulled me into this sense of deep calm, at the same time that Edward's fingers awakened me.

So, of course, I stepped in front of him, causing him to stop suddenly, and wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him. It seemed the appropriate thing to do, and I was, let's face it, horny. Edward was certainly willing—as he always was—and I just… god, I fucking needed him!

"Edward," I whispered against his lips as I felt him harden against my stomach. He swallowed, licking his lips as he searched my eyes for something and in the next moment, he was hovering over me, my back pressed against the sand, the waves lapping at our toes.

"I need you, love," he whispered, his hands everywhere all at once, making my eyes roll back into my head as I gasp. "God, you make me insatiable."

I smiled through my moan, looking into his eyes. "Ditto."

He chuckled under his breath as his lips and tongue followed the path of his hands, which wandered down to my thighs. He hitched them over his hips and I locked my ankles around him, my hands fisting his hair as his tongue lathered my nipple before he blew. I whimpered as he unleashed his worst on me, making me blind with pleasure in no time.

I felt him against me then, and I opened my eyes to see him staring at me, swallowing. I nodded, "Don't wait, just please—"

He cut me off with a low snarl, thrusting into me hard. My back arched and I had to throw my hand over my mouth in an effort not to scream. He just felt so good, and I needed him so much.

He was relentless as he set a hard, punishing pace, contrasting to the way his hands caressed my skin like I was some sort of goddess to be worshipped. Angling his hips slightly, I keened and bucked up into him when he hit that sweet spot and in the next moment, I was on top, his hands gripping my hips and I worked my hips over him, circling, back and forth, up and down, my head thrown back, my hands supporting me on his chest.

"Yes!" he hissed. "That's it… Bella, love, ride me."

I whimpered and leaned back as he thrust up into me, hitting my g-spot with every thrust. And suddenly, I was falling into the greatest abyss of pleasure. "Oh, god, Edward," I cried as I came.

He growled my name as he climaxed, driving himself up into me one last time before he stilled, buried to the hilt, and I felt him come deep inside me.

We lay side by side for a little while longer, unwilling to move a muscle. We watched the sunrise in each other's arms, and I recalled with bliss the last one hundred years we'd had together, starting with my decision to leave my home in a desperate effort to meet the one I was destined for.

And I had been right. To find my home, and my heart, I'd had to find my Edward.

And I was even more thankful when we walked back to the house and I, once clothed, slipped into Lizzie's room. As I sat watching our beautiful daughter sleep, my hand resting on the bump that was our son, William Charles, I smiled and thanked every star in the sky that this was my life now.

I was finally free.

I was finally where I belonged.

* * *

**Not so sure about the ending, but oh well. I liked it, in any case. For those in my Bexie25 Fanfics group, pics of Elizabeth Corene and pregnant Bella are up in the Cosmic Love album! I've also attached them to the post with the link to the chapter! ;)**

**Just a brief outline of the outtakes you'll be receiving...**

OUTTAKE 1: Meeting the family after Tanya leaves the room - EPOV

OUTTAKE 2: Jasper goes after Alice after her tantrum in chapter 19. - JPOV

OUTTAKE 3: Wedding night - EPOV

**Please review and I'll see you in a few days for outtake 1.**

**bexie25**


	31. Outtake 1

**Hello!**

**Welcome to the first outtake! This is REALLY short, I know, but it's only a missing little moment, not a chapter's worth. The other two outtakes are longer - wedding night, especially! :)**

**This continues from the chapter fourteen (fifteen because of the prelude on FF) entitled: Shadow**

**Thanks to Chandrakanta for beta-ing!**

* * *

**Outtake One**

**EPOV**

* * *

"Well, now that she's out of the way… for now at least," Bella muttered to herself before turned to the rest of our family. "Hi, everyone, it's very nice to meet you all! I'm Edward's mate, Bella."

I smiled to myself, shaking my head. This girl—my mate—was simply incredible. When I looked over to my family, the same sort of awe, I suppose, and definitely shock was written all over their faces. When I delved quickly into their thoughts, my smile widened.

_Oh, my baby boy, she's simply divine… I am so happy you found one another again…_

_She is very interesting… and a shield… I suppose her mind is silent? She's perfect for you, son._

_I am glad you found her again… I could not bear to feel your pain any longer. _

_She has excellent fashion sense, Edward. I hope she likes shopping…_

_Go, baby sis! Yo, Ed, so happy for you, man! You'll be losing your v-card… if you haven't already! _

_What is she, Edward? Is she human? Will she expose us? We better not have to move again!_

"Thank you, all of you," I said, quickly taking my place at Bella's side and taking her hand in mine. "To answer your questions, yes, her mind is silent to me. Emmett… I really do not think that is any of your business, and Rosalie, she is not human, so she will not expose us. She is a hybrid."

I answered Rosalie's questions with scorn. I was so sick of her thoughts; I understood that she was worried, but she was being very rude. And more to the point, she was very self-centered; the only reason she wanted to know of my mate's existence was to make sure she did not interrupt on her own perfect little life.

She growled under her breath, but said nothing, choosing to instead lean into Emmett. He beamed down at her, his thick arm curling around her waist and tugging her to him. I blocked their thoughts as soon as the lascivious grins crossed their faces.

Meanwhile, it appeared that the rest of the family was in shock.

"A... a hybrid?" Carlisle stuttered. I was shocked. Carlisle never stuttered.

Luckily, Bella wrapped her arms around my middle and smiled. "Yes, a hybrid. My father was a vampire, my mother a human. They found each other, mated, had me and then my father turned my mother. She nearly died." I could hear the guilt in her tone, and was about to comfort her, but she continued, "I rapidly grew in her womb and was inhumanly strong. Upon birth, I practically ripped through my mother's womb, but my father was very quick. He delivered me and then looked after my mother."

There was silence for a moment as everyone comprehended—or tried, really; they seemed to be struggling—what Bella had just said. Slowly, Esme came forward. She did not stop, nor hesitate; she instead came right up to my mate and took her in her arms.

"Welcome to our family, Bella."

The thoughts of my family reflected this.

"Oh, Bella, we'll be such great friends!" Alice finally burst, and Jasper and I chuckled, surprised she'd been able to keep it in for as long as she had. "I just know it!"

"Ooookay," Bella said very slowly.

Thankfully, the rest of our family spread their welcomes and happiness, so there was little way of Alice really responding. I simply smiled and watched as my mother, my father, and the rest of our siblings embraced my mate, feeling content watching them all for the first time ever.

* * *

**So how was that? Sorry about the length, but this just didn't seem to need to be all that long and I actually rather like it.**

**The second one is already complete and beta'd so I'll see you in a few days with that one... I'm thinking maybe Monday or Tuesday :)**

**Anyways... **

**Please review!**

**bexie25**


	32. Outtake 2

**Hello!**

**So, here's the JxA outtake! There's no lemon, unfortunately; I just didn't think one would fit in here. **

**On the bright side, there's only one more outtake after this one and then the story is complete. :)**

**This continues from the chapter 19 (20 on here because of prelude) entitled Scream.**

* * *

**Outtake Two.**

**JPOV**

* * *

I watched with dismay as my wife ran out the door. I was itching to go after her, but at that moment, Edward's remorse hit me and I looked around to see him staring at me.

I shook my head and thought to him, _don't worry about it, Edward. __You were right; she has to learn. Thank you._

Then I spun on my heel, and ran out after Alice. From her scent, I knew she hadn't gotten that far—about a mile at the most. The further I ran and pondered what I would say to her, the more I reprimanded myself. I should have seen this coming. I should have seen that she was lonely and that she missed her brother. I'm the damn empath after all, and fuck… she's my mate. She's the center of my universe—my sole focus.

How could I not have picked this up?

I was shaken from my thoughts as I heard a low sob. My head snapped around and I blew out a breath as I found my Alice sittin' on a fallen log, faced away from me. Slowly, I crept forward.

"Go away," she whispered.

"Sorry, darlin'. No can do, I'm afraid," I told her as I stepped over the log and stood in front of her. "Anything you have to say?"

"Not really," she mumbled, still looking down.

I huffed, a hint of anger swelling within me. "Mary Alice, what in the Sam damn Hill were you hopin' to accomplish?" I asked her, hands on my hips. "That… whatever-that-was in there was horrible! Bella's sad now and feelin' mighty guilty… was that what you wanted?"

She looked up at me with shock and horror on her face. She shook her head. "No, Jasper! I didn't… I just… I dunno, I got a little crazy—"

"Crazy? Little darlin', you give crazy a new name—especially after that performance." I chuckled quietly.

"I just wanna be included," she mumbled, looking down. "Since Edward met Bella, we haven't talked as often as we used to… and I miss my brother." She looked up at me. "Jazzy, I can't remember my human life. I can't remember my family—this one is all I have. I-I guess I just got a little carried away. Lately, I haven't been included in a lot and I wanted to help."

My eyes soften as I took in her slumped, despondent form and I sighed. I loved my wife, even for her over-excited nature, but sometimes she went a little too far and feelings got hurt. She never meant to do it—Mary Alice Whitlock was _not _spiteful by nature—but she acted on impulse sometimes and her visions clouded her judgment.

Plus, my mate was hurtin' now and feelin' just about as guilty as Bella had been before I'd left the house. And I hated my mate being in pain and upset just as much as the next guy did when it came to their mate, but it was worse 'cause I could _feel _it.

It killed me.

Sighing again, and wanting nothing more than to cheer her up and make her see where Edward and Bella were coming from, I said, "Baby, you have to realize that this is the first of many of Edward and Bella's weddings. You can plan those. This one's special; it's their first. They wanna plan it themselves."

"None of the others did," she said defensively, but her guilt grew to new heights.

I did my best to ignore it and shook my head, persisting with the issue. My Alice sometimes had trouble like this, and as her mate, it was my job to make sure she saw sense. "That's not true. Esme and Carlisle and Emmett and Rosalie _did _plan their own first weddings; we just weren't there for 'em. And don't you remember our wedding? We planned that, and just like the others, refused to let the others help. You just didn't realize it because this is what you do; you plan the celebrations, the weddin's and special events. And I know, without a doubt, that if we had been with the others for their first weddings and proposals, you would understand better what Edward and Bella are doing—what they want."

"What do I do?" she asked, looking up at me then, and the pain I saw just about broke my heart.

Sitting down and pulling her into my arms, I rocked her. "You need to apologize to 'em. Both of 'em." She went to say something, but I leaned back and raised a finger and an eyebrow to stop her. "No, Mary Alice. You have no idea how hurt and self-conscious you made Bella when you said those things. Not to mention the guilt." I softly grabbed her chin and pulled it up, forcing her to look at me. "We are a family; if we do wrong, we apologize and make the hell up."

She sighed and nodded. For many minutes afterwards, there was silence, until she whispered, "Ok. But can we just… stay here for a little while?" She looked up at me, her beautiful little eyes begging me and I surrendered, unable to give her anything less than the world.

"Ok," I whispered, and I sat down beside her and pulled her into my arms, happy that I'd made her see sense.

Now, for the apology.

* * *

**So, yeah. How was that? Good? I really hope so - I know quite a few of you were looking forward to this outtake especially!**

**I'll see you in a few days for the last outtake! It's already written and beta'd and everything, but I wanna stretch it out a little ;)**

**Please review**

**bexie25**


	33. Outtake 3

**Hello :)**

**So this is the last and longest of outtakes, and therefore updates of CL. I'll keep all the sappy shit down the bottom, along with an announcement that you ALL NEED TO READ.**

**Anyways... so yeah... this continues from Edward's chapter, chapter 25 (26 on here because of the prelude) entitled****: ****Two in the Darkness**

**Take it away... ;)**

* * *

**Outtake Three**

**EPOV**

* * *

'_I smirked. "I agree," I purred, opening the door and whizzing through to the bedroom.'_

I threw the door open and stopped, letting Bella down. When her feet hit the floor, her grip on my shoulders relinquished and she turned around, gasping as her eyes took in every detail of the room.

I smiled along with her, and I had to say, Esme definitely knew what she was doing. This was perfect.

But even the room, in all its glory, could not hold my attention for long. My eyes were drawn to my mate now, perhaps more than ever, though I had been sure that was impossible. In the blink of an eye, I was standing between her and the rest of the room, so close that she could see only me. Each breath I released and she took, she inhaled my scent, and each breath she released I inhaled, breathing in her scent, in turn.

_I want more of her_… _I_ need_ to see all of her_… I thought desperately, looking into her eyes. She swallowed and cupped my cheek, nodding to tell me she felt the same. I took a deep, shuddering breath before releasing it, my eyes flickering between hers and the rest of her before I turned her around gently.

I hesitated, looking down at the curve of her back, her long, beautiful, elegant neck covered in the delicate lace. She was a vision. I almost didn't want to touch her for the fear of risking her purity, but I was so ravenous for her that when she leaned back against me, I was unable to stop myself as I steadied and righted her then ran my hands up her back then around to her waist. She jumped as I caressed her there for a moment, feeling for a zipper. Finally, I found it, and with a triumphant smile, I unzipped her slowly.

The zip went from just an inch under her armpit to low on her curvaceous yet still slim hips. As I dragged it down, I let down her hair, wanting to run my fingers through the rich, thick, beautiful curls. I loved her hair so much, along with the rest of her. Everything about her was perfect.

I was enraptured, and hardly in control of myself as I carefully, slowly, removed the dress from her body, taking my time to drink in every inch of newly uncovered skin. And when the dress was off of her and carefully draped across the chair in the corner of the room, I gasped.

Bella was standing in the middle of the room in the most gorgeous, most innocent, and most _tantalizing _piece of lingerie I had ever seen. No thought from any man or woman could compare. The color was what made it so innocent, for with the little amount of skin it covered, there was nothing else that sang pure and innocent in it. It was sheer white, lacy in all the most lovely of places, and see-through enough for me to see the—_was that a thong?_—panties she wore underneath.

Unable to help myself, I flew back to her side and fell to my knees in front of her, looking up at the beauty before me. I was speechless. I could not say a word. I could only hope that the look in my eyes as I looked at her, my hands running over her smooth, pale skin, conveyed all that I felt, not an utter passing through either of our lips. My hands slithered underneath the thin fabric of the lingerie, and I traced the edges of the thong, just making sure; I could hardly believe that that was what she was wearing, but I was most certainly thankful. My hands never quite touched her skin, merely skimming, teasing, and from the smell of her sweet arousal, I was doing just that.

But still, my eyes were on her face.

"Edward," my delectable wife breathed and she opened her eyes to look down at me. Her eyes were black, her cheeks flushed; my sweet girl was just as worked up as I was. She seemed to groan as she looked into my eyes, and then her mouth opened again. "Edward, I need you… now… please." She was desperate, pleading, begging. "Touch me, kiss me, do something—anything," she cried.

I could do nothing but give her what she wanted. I could not help myself; she was a magnet, a flame and I a moth. Carefully, slowly, I lifted the chemise, bearing just her abdomen to me. My lips were parted, my breath washing over her heated skin, and she whimpered, another wave of her arousal hitting the air and I growled, unable to help myself. I gripped her hips, forcing her legs further apart. I inhaled deeply and Bella moaned as my nose pressed against her clit through her barely-there thong. Her fingers threaded through my hair tightly and I growled against her as she pulled me closer to her, making her moan loudly.

I pressed my lips against her slowly, kissing her, but still not removing the single layer of clothing between her core and I. Just as I drove her crazy, I pulled back and let just my nose pass over her. She was surely throbbing from the need I could smell and taste in the air that was simply emanating off of her. She whispered my name over and over.

I growled her name, unable to stand it anymore; her scent in the room blocked everything else, it was so intense. It was an aphrodisiac, and I was powerless. I stood up, using my natural speed, and cupped her jaw. Her eyes, before closed, now opened, immediately connecting with mine. She swallowed, her breath coming from her mouth in pants, and she slowly reached up with both hands to cup and caress my jaw. I leaned in slowly, my lips pouting, eyes flitting from her eyes to her lips. Suddenly, she leaned in and whimpered as she pressed her lips to mine.

The kiss was intense: so filled with need, relief, love, and passion that we literally inhaled each other.

"Oh, god, Bella," I gasped, breaking off the kiss. "I love you … I love you so much. My wife…" Again, I was stunned.

She must have noticed this, and caught on to the feeling, for her eyes seemed to convey the same struggle I was sure mine did. "I love you, too," she whispered and I nearly closed my eyes in pleasure of hearing those words from her lips. So simple, yet they meant everything. "I feel so… overwhelmed… every time we are together, every time you touch me. I love you so much, my husband."

"I want you," I told her, eyes again flying between her lips and her eyes. I was crazy with need; now that we had said this, it had given no relief. In fact, if anything, my want for her had increased.

She smiled. "I want you. Please, Edward, make love to me. I need it." _You and me both, _I thought. "I need to feel you so much… need to consummate our marriage and feel you loving me as your wife… _so much_."

There was nothing else for us to say; we could not speak, and there was no need to. Wordlessly, I leaned in, this time without the premise of teasing, and also this time, the kiss was soft and sweet and tender: a polar opposite of the last. We shared each breath as we fell into one another.

I lifted her into my arms when we needed the kiss, and slowly, reverently, I walked us over to the bed before laying her down onto it. Looking down at her, I ran my hands through her hair, tears welling in my eyes as they did in hers, though hers cascaded down her cheeks as mine never would.

She sat up and ran her hands over my chest, though still covered, our eyes still connected. My hands lifted to hers and I stilled them before linking our fingers and moving our now-joined hands to the top of my shirt. Gently, together, we unbuttoned my shirt and when it was completely undone, she pulled her hands from mine to push it off my shoulders. We promptly forgot about it, and I pushed her back onto the bed, undoing the buckle of my belt, removing it and letting it fall to the ground with a clanking thud before I did the same, faster even, with my pants.

As I climbed onto the bed, my wife crawled backwards into the center before she lay back once again. I kneeled between her legs and ran my hands over the hem of her chemise, pushing it up slowly with the back of my fingers, all the way up her body. My fingers wandered over the skin I was slowly revealing, skin I had seen before, many times, but skin that always and forever would mesmerize me.

However, this night, it felt almost as if I had never done this with her before; I was letting myself rediscover her, and I was loving every second of it.

I gasped when the chemise was eventually on the floor, my eyes having fallen on the bra that was just as lacy as her thong. My hands slithered under my wife, and she smiled and arched her back deliciously, exposing the hidden curves of her delectable body. When it was undone, my fingers wandered to the thin straps on her fragile shoulders and I pulled them down her arms slowly as she pressed her hand against the middle of the cups, revealing nothing of her luscious breasts to me. When the hand she had there was the only thing keeping me from removing the thing and seeing her properly, I took her hand in mine and leaned down, tracing my lips over her neck lightly as I placed her hand at her side. She breathed in and out, slowly and rhythmically, as I removed the last shred of clothing from her body. When she was completely bare, I did nothing but continue on the path my lips had started; I moved lower, now pressing open-mouthed kisses against her collarbones, leaving her gasping as I finally came to the sweet swell of her breasts.

My hands caressed them, cupping, my thumbs brushing over the nipples before my mouth played with them as well. Then I moved lower to her stomach, and she whimpered and panted, fingers clenching and unclenching as my tongue wandered over her sweet-tasting skin, going lower to her abdomen and doing the same, pressing kisses here and there as the muscles clenched underneath my tongue and lips.

Relief flooded through me, and I am sure my wife as well, as I finally reached her panties, removing them quickly, not having the patience to go slower as I flung them across the room. I looked into her eyes, and leaned down, running my tongue flatly between her folds, flicking the end of my tongue as I came to her clit. All I could think of was doing this for days on end, simply to taste her sweetness. My mate moaned my name, her fingers again threading through my hair as she arched her back, throbbing against my tongue.

It did not take long for her to reach completion, especially when I added my fingers, and she cried out my name, contracting around my fingers.

I crawled up her body and kissed her fully, both of us groaning, gripping at each other fiercely as she tasted herself on me. My hands wandered to her legs and I wrapped them around my hips, taking a moment to look deep into her eyes and whisper once again, "I love you," before I slowly and carefully entered her.

I kept the pace slow and sweet, making love to her as if my life depended on it, worshiping her as she whimpered and moaned for me. I kissed her again and again as we steadily reached our climax together, though we never quite reached completion, as we did not want the sensation of us being together to end. Finally, as I angled my hips in a new fashion, thrusting with more speed and force as I rubbed her clit with my finger, we reached heaven, crying out the other's name.

I collapsed onto her.

"I love you, my beautiful wife," I whispered in her ear, pressing a kiss to her lips, cheeks, and then her forehead before I said one final word to seal our future.

"Forever."

* * *

**Ok. So that's that, now. It's all over.**

**I'm not actually quite as emotional for this one. Don't know why. But all in all, I want to thank every single person who has reviewed, favourited, alerted - all that. :) You have made this story the second most reviewed normal chapter-length multi chapter story (meaning, excluding my crazy-ass two first drabbles). I have lived for all of your reviews and comments, loving the way you supported me and told me what you thought without hesitation.**

**:)**

**Most of all, I want to thank Chandrakanta. Chandra, I dunno if you're reading this (ya might be), but either way, thank you for everything you have done. Not only being amazing at beta-ing every chapter since I took you on, but then going back to the Prelude and first six chapters and doing them as well... without me asking you! I've said it before, and I shall say it again - you are a fucking gem!**

**And now, for the announcement which is VERY IMPORTANT.**

**I have been compiling the chapters as I've updated into a PDF that is now complete. If you would like one, please either PM me or review here. You must include your email, as I cannot send it to you without it. And you must post your email like this in both PMs and reviews: bexie dot fanfiction at hotmail dot com**

**You can also email me at: bexie dot fanfiction at hotmail dot com for a copy!**

**So, just one last time, thank you very much - all of you. This has been updating since last year, and through all the shit, you've been here, reading and reviewing faithfully. Thank you and see you soon...**

**Oh, and just one more thing. I'm currently working on a story called Misguided Imprint (FB ladies, you already know this). Anyway, basically, Jacob and Bella are in a one-sided imprint relationship, Bella feels trapped. She runs away and meets Edward, her true mate, and they work together to keep her safe from a dangerous and very temperamental and possessive Jacob and the stupid pack/tribe/elders.**

**So yeah. Author Alert me if you haven't already if you're interested. First chapter goes up in 8 days, so on the 5th of July in Australia.**

**Now, that truly is all I have to say... so yeah, thanks and goodbye for this story and not for forever! ;)**

**Please review for me one last time...**

**bexie25**


	34. Nomination

**Hello everyone!**

**Big news… big, big, amazing news!**

**Cosmic Love was nominated for the Top Ten Fics of the Month over of - please vote! :) Voting ends on the 1st of August, and you can vote each once a day! :) Thanks to whoever nominated!**

**Link: ****polldaddy dot com / poll/7218568/**

******Thank you!**

******bexie25**


End file.
